“The Internet now has 555 million websites, up from just 255 million at the end of 2010,” reports Digital Trends.
According to Web monitoring service Pingdom, 300 million sites were created in the last year alone.
Additional stats: there are currently 2.1 billion Internet users worldwide, 45 percent of users are under 25, North America leads with most citizens online at 73.3 percent penetration (although Asia has more total numbers), Facebook has more than 800 million users and there are 100 active Twitter users.
“With 39 percent market share, Internet Explorer remains the most popular browser in the world,” explains the post. “Chrome is now second, with 28 percent. And Firefox is a close third, at 25 percent. Safari only accounts for 6 percent of the browser market.”
The Pingdom report offers a thorough breakdown of Internet stats for 2011, including some helpful pie charts.
According to the GSMA, worldwide association of mobile operators and related companies, more than half of the devices launched at CES were Internet connected.
“GSMA calculated that more than 90 percent of TVs at CES, 70 percent of automotive devices, 44 percent of healthcare devices and 30 percent of cameras were connected,” reports ReadWriteWeb.
The association predicts 24 billion connected devices by 2020, up from 9 billion today. Automobile connectivity is expected to be an emerging product category.
It also estimates that connected devices will become a $1.2 trillion market by 2020.
“At this year’s CES, more than 40 percent of the connected devices announced were gadgets such as laptops and smartphones. The rest were non-gadgets, such as those in the ‘home lifestyle’ category, which, according to the GSMA, made up 30 percent of the connected devices at CES. The products in the home lifestyle category included connected TVs, smart refrigerators and Internet-connected washers and dryers.”
GSMA has labeled this trend “The Connected Life,” defining it as “a world where all technology devices intelligently connect.”
The ReadWriteWeb post features several interesting charts and infographics from GSMA.
UK-based Juniper Research is forecasting that sales of ultrabooks will increase at three times the rate of tablets over the next five years.
“However, tablet volume will remain higher, with 253 million expected to be shipped in 2016, compared with 178 million ultrabooks,” reports MediaPost.
Ultrabook was a major buzzword at CES in Las Vegas, where a number of compelling new models debuted.
Intel, a major proponent of the sleek lightweight laptops, expects more than 75 new ultrabooks to launch in 2012, including models with 14- and 15-inch screens.
“Samsung, Lenovo, Acer and Vizio are among the manufacturers that have jumped on the ultrabook bandwagon,” explains the post. “Among other findings, the study said Windows 8 will play a key role in driving ultrabook adoption, with extended battery life, an always-on connection and other features coming with an updated version of Microsoft’s operating system.”
Google announced that beginning on March 1st, the company will combine data about users’ activities on most of their sites and services including YouTube, Android, Gmail and the search engine. This aggregated user profile is designed for “a simpler, more intuitive Google experience,” according to the company.
While this might lead to new services, it will also create a detailed picture to better tailor ads. There will be no way to opt out unless users are not logged in.
GigaOM writes that the new policy “seems to have highlighted for many a crucial question: Is Google having all of that info about you — including Web searches, Google Analytics data from your website, even location information — a good thing?”
This sharing may be problematic for some. As GigaOM points out, “for those who want to ‘compartmentalize’ their lives, with some services reserved for personal use and others for business or public use, the pooling of information is a very real threat.”
This new policy is a break with Google’s previous privacy position. Analysts say that Google is responding to Apple and Facebook which have more unified ecosystems. Still, this new approach will invite antitrust scrutiny as Google is the dominant online search engine.
Google has already faced the Federal Trade Commission over privacy issues and recently received heavy criticism about its personalized G+ results in searches.
The co-chair of the Congressional Privacy Caucus, Rep. Edward Markey, said: “It is imperative that users will be able to decide whether they want their information shared across the spectrum of Google’s offerings.”
In the wake of CES, analysts continue to report on emerging trends such as smartphones, tablets and connected TVs.
“However, in the content creation industry, the big trends heading into 2012 are more esoteric — concepts that will impact consumers without them ever knowing, or caring, much about them,” reports SMPTE Newswatch.
“That’s because, as SMPTE President Peter Ludé suggests, all the amazing new ways for consumers to download, display, and manipulate content more sharply in the home or on handheld devices are beside the point unless content creators keep developing newer/better ways to make, format, and distribute that content for all those platforms in the first place.”
SMPTE Newswatch offers this compelling report on the key trends expected to have an impact on content creators in 2012. The report comes from a recent discussion with SMPTE’s Ludé, who also serves as SVP of Engineering at Sony Electronics, and Wendy Aylsworth, SMPTE Executive VP and Senior VP of Technology at Warner Bros. Technical Operations.
The article addresses the following areas: 4K, high frame rates, 3D, processing power, storage, streamlining standards and more.
In 1963, six years before “Sesame Street,” Jim Henson produced a short film called “Robot.”
Originally produced for business seminars, AT&T recently made the lost film available online.
“The short tells an archetypal man and machine story,” reports Forrest Wickman for Slate. “Still, it’s unexpected to see a robot imagined in 1963 not just as a possible weapon of war or spaceship pilot but as a means for ‘digesting vast oceans of information.'”
It’s interesting to speculate whether the film reveals Henson’s own thinking about smart machines. Nevertheless, it does showcase his talent creating an entertaining personality, an ability that would later serve him well.
“I’m struck not only by the robot’s campy resemblance to the tin-can creations of movies like ‘Forbidden Planet,’ but also by its hilariously open disdain for humans,” writes Wickman, “which reminds me above all of Flight of the Conchords’ much more recent ‘The Humans Are Dead.'”
Apple reported record-breaking earnings for its last quarter yesterday. The company generated $46.3 billion in revenue with a profit of $13.06 billion, reports AllThingsD.
The sales figures: 37.04 million iPhones, a 128 percent increase over the same quarter a year ago; 15.43 million iPads, up 111 percent; and 5.2 million Macs, an increase of 26 percent.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said the figures represent record-breaking numbers for iPhones, iPads and Macs. The iPod was the only product to see a drop; Apple sold 15.4 million units, down 21 percent.
Apple also announced that by the end of this month, iOS developers will have earned more than $4 billion in total sales.
In a related Tech.pinions post, analyst Ben Bajarin suggests “Apple is just getting started,” citing continued innovation and new markets in Asia.
“There are still industries for Apple to disrupt,” he writes. “There are still new products to be made for new types of customers. We are only half way through this 50+ year journey of bringing technology to the masses… Lots of OEMs better get their tablet strategies in order.”
Time Warner Cable has announced the launch of TWC TV for Apple’s iPhone.
“TWC TV allows subscribers of the second-largest U.S. cable operator to watch live TV from within the home, change channels on their set-top box and manage their DVR from their iPhone,” explains The Hollywood Reporter.
In order to access the interactive program guide, channel tuning and DVR management features, customers will need a set-top box or DVR that uses the “Navigator” interactive program guide, according to THR.
“TW Cable was one of the most visible pay TV providers at CES 2012 this month, which drew a positive review from Wells Fargo analyst Marci Ryvicker.” In the related article, THR notes that TV Everywhere is gaining momentum.
The app is currently available for download in the App Store at no additional cost for Time Warner Cable customers with a broadband connection.
CNET offers its take on the highlights of last week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
In addition to the anticipated array of ultrabooks and connected CE devices, the show introduced a pair of 55-inch OLED TVs from LG and Samsung: “Don’t expect either of these TVs to be cheap when they hit the market. But make no mistake, OLED is in your future.”
There was real diversity in the crowded tablet market, with standouts including the Asus Memo 370T and the Toshiba Excite X10.
“Google TV got more interesting with a few new devices and the announcement that the OnLive gaming service will work with it,” reports CNET. “But overall there wasn’t as much innovation in the home video space as enthusiasts may have liked to have seen.”
There were 3D printers such as the Makerbot Replicator and 3D Systems’ Cube; a surprisingly small number of new laptops; compelling ultrabooks led by the Dell XPS 13 and HP Envy 14 Spectre; three exceptional point-and-shoot cameras with the Fujifilm X-Pro1, the Nikon D4, and the Canon PowerShot G1 X; and a surprise showing by Gorilla Glass 2, now stronger and allows screens to be 20 percent thinner.
Software and apps took on a new presence this year: “BlueStacks for Windows 8, our Best of CES Award winner in the Software and Apps category, brings you the entire Android app catalog in Windows 8. Several new apps are helping those who want to drop cable TV do so with ease. Aurasma is a cool app that brings augmented reality to both Android and iOS devices.”
“Some of the most notable things about this year’s show were the products we didn’t see,” explains the wrap-up. “Phones bearing Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest version of the Android operating system, were expected to dominate CES this year but were largely missing in action. Instead, 4G LTE, Windows Phone, and AT&T were the real stars of the mobile show. Highlights included the Nokia Lumia 900, the HTC Titan II, the Motorola Droid 4, the Droid Razr Maxx, and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.”
CNET announced the winners of this year’s “CNET Best of CES Awards” as voted on by the editors and users of cnet.com.
Best of Show for 2012 was awarded to LG’s 55EM9600 OLED TV: “The first 55-inch OLED TV announced as shipping in 2012, and the only one to get an actual model number and public ship date (Q3), the 55EM9800 promises the superb all-around performance of OLED (absolute black levels, ultra-fast panel and excellent viewing angles) in an ultra-thin panel.”
This year’s People’s Voice Award went to the Razer Project Fiona concept gaming tablet, which according to CNET: “suggests that Windows 8 is a serious player in portable gaming, and that Razer is serious about moving into manufacturing computers.”
Other notable winners include:
The Windows Phone-based Nokia Lumia 900 with 4.3-inch AMOLED screen and dual cameras (Smartphones category).
Fujifilm’s mirrorless X-Pro1 featuring a new sensor and hybrid viewfinder (Cameras category).
The $250 Asus Memo 370T quad-core, Android 4.0 tablet with 1280×800 IPS screen (Tablets category).
HP’s Envy 14 Spectre premium ultrabook, “the most glass-covered laptop we’ve ever seen” (Personal Computers category).
The Simple.TV DVR available on iPad, Roku, Boxee and Google TV (Home Theater category). “Think of it like your own personal cloud for your over-the-air TV.”
You can check out the complete list of winners and a video of the awards presentation here.
A group of MIT scientists is using a 3D camera and “time of flight” detection to develop a simpler, affordable gesture recognition technology for cell phones.
“3D acquisition has become a really hot topic,” says Vivek Goyal, associate professor of Electrical Engineering at MIT’s Research Lab of Electronics. “In consumer electronics, people are very interested in 3D for immersive communication, but then they’re also interested in 3D for human-computer interaction.”
Goyal says the camera “provides more-accurate depth information than the Kinect, has a greater range and works under all lighting conditions — but is so small, cheap and power-efficient that it could be incorporated into a cell phone at very little extra cost.”
“MIT’s camera uses what is referred to as ‘time of flight’ of light particles to determine the depth of field: An infrared laser is emitted and a camera measures the time it takes the light to return from objects at different distances,” reports Tom’s Hardware. “However, instead of employing multiple sensors, the MIT system has only one detector — a one-pixel camera.”
Qualcomm has provided a $100,000 research grant for the project.
For those interested, check out the 10-minute video.
“Snapstream offers a TV monitoring service that helps various news services, government agencies and educational clients keep tabs on subjects discussed on TV, clip them and save them for later,” according to GigaOM. “Or, if you’re a customer like ‘The Daily Show,’ you’re using those clips as part of your own broadcasts.”
Prior to this week, Snapstream’s service was only available to Windows users.
The company released a Mac Web player this week for Mac OS X Snow Leopard and above. Mac users can now “search TV recordings, clips relevant video segments, transcode those recordings to a Web-friendly format and set up alerts for when certain subjects are discussed on TV,” explains the post.
The new player features a plugin that plays back MPEG-2 recordings. According to GigaOM: “Since lots of video professionals are already using Macs and Final Cut Pro, that could greatly improve workflow for current customers and win over potential new customers.”
Following the shutdown of file-sharing service MegaUpload.com, founder Kim Dotcom (aka Kim Schmitz and Kim Tim Jim Vestor) and three executives have been arrested in New Zealand by request of the U.S. government.
MegaUpload was charged with: 1) engaging in a racketeering conspiracy, 2) conspiring to commit copyright infringement, 3) conspiring to commit money laundering and 4) two substantive counts of criminal copyright infringement.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the service is an “international organized criminal enterprise allegedly responsible for massive worldwide online piracy.”
“This action is among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States and directly targets the misuse of a public content storage and distribution site to commit and facilitate intellectual property crime,” indicates the DOJ press release.
“The complaint alleges that MegaUpload, founder Kim Dotcom, and his team are responsible for $175 million in ‘criminal proceeds’ and ‘more than half a billion dollars in harm to copyright owners,'” reports The Verge.
“While SOPA has been tabled for the moment, the MegaUpload case should prove to be a flashpoint for the issue in the months to come: both an example of how large the claimed piracy problem has become and how the U.S. can already enforce its laws with broad international support.”
Wikipedia has joined other sites in going dark today in protest of two proposed bills — the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate.
From midnight Tuesday until midnight Wednesday (ET), people who try to visit the English Wikipedia homepage will be redirected to a temporary page, “Imagine a World without Free Knowledge” that includes information regarding SOPA and PIPA and a zipcode search to contact political representatives.
Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales said the blackout is intended to show lawmakers and regulators that people who work on the Internet do not support the bills.
According to Wales, 460 million people around the world visit Wikipedia each month. The blackout could affect as many as 100 million people.
The WordPress homepage and some other international Wikipedia pages will post similar notices. Technology/culture blog BoingBoing and social news site Reddit will also blackout their sites for the day.
Google opted not to go dark with its search service for the day, but a black bar is blocking its doodle art logo. The bar links to a page that states: “Millions of Americans oppose SOPA and PIPA because these bills would censor the Internet and slow economic growth in the U.S.”
“Freshmen at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts spent the past semester playing an immersive card game, ‘Reality.’ Participants collected cards hidden across campus that were used as prompts for collaborative storytelling projects,” according to Wired. The school partnered with Ph.D. candidate Jeff Watson to produce the alternate reality game with a focus on media creation.
The game is described as “one part trading card game, one part media creation tool, and one part Web portal.”
“When USC pulled together a team to design ‘Reality,’ they had one goal in mind: to give incoming freshmen the opportunity to collaborate with other students and sharpen their skills before their sophomore year,” explains the article.
Prizes included class recognition, meetings with professionals such as Robert Zemeckis, internship possibilities and more.
A number of students stated the game was a highlight of their freshman year and they are sad to see it go. “I think the game was brilliant because it created an incredible space for experimentation and growth,” explains Allison Tate-Cortese, a Film & Television Production major. “It was brilliant because you felt safe because you can try things that were outside of your comfort zone, but you didn’t have to worry about a grade accompanied with it.”
For those interested in the results, visit the game’s archive of deals, where students explain each project. “Highlights include a special effects-ridden science fiction trailer, a satiric dramatization of students’ experiences with the project, and a game of live-action Minesweeper at IndieCade,” reports Wired.
