Talk of a smartwatch from Apple is heating up as the electronics giant is reportedly experimenting with wristwatch-like devices designed with curved glass, according to people familiar with the efforts. The watch would operate on Apple’s iOS platform and would be based in the company’s understanding of how this type of glass can curve around the human body. Apple declined to comment on such plans. Continue reading Update: More Speculation Emerges About an Apple Smartwatch

BI Intelligence reviewed year-end data to identify anticipated trends in the mobile industry for the upcoming year. Research analyst Alex Cocotas published a slide deck for “The Year Ahead in Mobile,” which notes that more than 2.5 billion people were online by the end of 2012 (about 35 percent of the global population). Mobile currently accounts for 15 percent of worldwide Internet traffic, and is expected to top 25 percent by the end of 2013. Continue reading BI Forecast Predicts Mobile Growth, but Sees Changes Ahead

Honda has joined Chevrolet in providing vehicles with Siri integration. The automaker will implement Siri Eyes Free in three of its models this year: the 2013 Accord, Acura RLX and ILX. Drivers can connect to Siri by holding a button on the steering wheel and then use Siri to make calls, dictate text messages, play songs or use any of Siri’s other features. The driver’s phone will not light up during the exchange to avoid distraction. Continue reading Honda Latest to Introduce Siri Eyes Free in New Car Models

Nearly two years (and three CEOs) after its intended start date, Bookish finally launched earlier this week. The company is backed by “big-six publishers Hachette, Penguin and Simon & Schuster” and intends to “promote book discovery and sell books,” writes paidContent. The company wants to be “a one-stop shop for readers looking to connect with authors and find their next book.” Continue reading Bookish Now Live, Features Database of 1.2 Million Titles

The first day of the Macworld Expo featured iPhone photography as artists and photojournalists discussing a variety of related subjects. Some tried to dispel the notion that iPhone cameras do not have good resolution (they argued that everything is online anyway, and how high-resolution scanners can help create larger images), while others discussed how to use multiple editing applications to create artwork that is not the product of any one editing platform. Continue reading Macworld Expo Dedicates First Day to iPhonography Artists

Apple is in negotiations to carry Time Warner’s HBO GO app on its Apple TV by mid-2013, say two people familiar with the matter. Apple’s $99 set-top device already streams content from Netflix and Hulu Plus. With the addition of HBO GO, the STB could better compete with video-delivery devices such as Roku and Microsoft Xbox (which already have the HBO service). Continue reading Insiders Suggest HBO GO Could Be on Apple TV by Mid-Year

Netflix and YouTube have combined efforts to launch DIAL, “a protocol that helps developers of second-screen apps to discover and launch applications on smart TVs and connected devices.” DIAL is already seeing support from Samsung, Sony, Hulu and BBC and “could become a key piece in efforts to establish an open alternative to Apple’s AirPlay,” according to GigaOM. Continue reading Netflix, YouTube Take On AirPlay with Second Screen Protocol

Amazon has acquired IVONA Software for an undisclosed sum. Amazon already uses IVONA voice recognition software on the Kindle Fire, which helps users navigate the touchscreen and enables other voice commands. Amazon may now integrate the software into other Kindle products, and could also use the technology to create a competitor to Siri as rumors persist that Amazon could be working on a smartphone. Continue reading Mobile: Amazon Acquires Voice Recognition Company IVONA

Even though Apple experienced a successful fourth quarter with its popular iPhone, “underneath the big numbers at the largest U.S. carriers are signs Apple Inc. faces a rapidly changing marketplace that could erode its dominance,” suggests the Wall Street Journal. It seems that customers are purchasing iPhones at a rapid rate, but aren’t buying newer, more expensive models with the same frequency. Continue reading Apple iPhone Sales Strong, but Fewer Buying Newest Models

VideoNuze suggests that post CES, an Apple TV is inevitable. “Apple’s television opportunity is not simply to one-up the competition’s stable of smart TVs, but to re-imagine the entire TV experience as an integral part of our lives,” notes the post. Apple needs to combine components that already exist in the smart TV sphere and then “create an unparalleled experience layer that allows users to do things heretofore unimaginable.” Continue reading The Stage Is Set For Apple To Enter The Television Market

Amazon’s rumored entrance into the smartphone market could potentially complement the company’s struggling Kindle Fire and surging app store sales. An Amazon smartphone would not only push forward the already growing app store, but could give the company an outlet for mobile advertising — an area in which its unique collection of data could help predict future purchases. Continue reading Mobile: Amazon Could Challenge Apple in Smartphone Market

Amazon has launched a browser-based MP3 store featuring 22 million songs. The move directly challenges Apple since the store allows consumers to use their Apple devices to access music through Amazon’s Cloud Player app. Much of the music is cheaper than iTunes because Amazon does not have to pay Apple the 30 percent commission for sales through iTunes. This allows Amazon to offer specials like 69 cent songs and $5 albums. Continue reading Amazon Launches HTML5-Based MP3 Store to Compete with Apple

Apple and Google dominate the smartphone software market with a combined 87 percent control, but new competitors hope to chip away at this duopoly. New entrants including Tizen, the Mozilla Foundation and Ubuntu hope that introducing competing operating systems would help convince consumers to purchase products through alternatives to the Google or Apple stores. Continue reading New Mobile Operating Systems Look to Disrupt iOS and Android

Rumors surrounding new Apple products have always been prevalent, but since the passing of Steve Jobs, swirling speculations are more often correct than not, as it seems the stronghold on complete secrecy within the company has been loosened. That’s one reason A Blog To Watch believes rumors that an Apple iWatch (smartwatch device) are true — and, it also believes, it could hit shelves this year. Continue reading Connected Devices: Will Apple Launch an iWatch in 2013?

Apple CEO Tim Cook said he believes China will become Apple’s most important market. He was optimistic about his latest talk with China Mobile, although he wouldn’t go into detail about it — and he recently met with Miao Wei, minister of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which is responsible for approving Apple products before they’re launched in China. Continue reading Tim Cook Goes To China Again, Seems To Be Making Progress