By Aldo Panessidi

For those of you loyal readers who have been following and reading my blogs…. you no doubt noticed my propensity to provide you with industry and market statistics and information.

Keeping with this tradition, I came across a study – IT in the Toilet conducted by 11 Mark… according to this report, we shouldn’t be surprised if we hear a toilet flush in the background while on the phone with friends or colleagues; as a whopping 3 out 4 in America use their cell phones while in the bathroom.

Approximately the same number of men and women have used the phone in the bathroom, according to a survey of 1,000 Americans… although men seem more tethered to IT in the toilet: 30 percent of men versus 20 percent of women agreed with the statement, “I don’t go to the bathroom without my mobile phone.”

Since only 14% of respondents reportedly cleanse their phones after a toilet session…  I would highly recommend protecting both their devices and ultimately themselves with iSkin protective accessories‘ revolutionary  Microban technology.  Built-in to products during the manufacturing process, Microban antimicrobial product protection inhibits the growth of microbes such as bacteria, mold and mildew that can cause stains , embarrassing odors and deterioration of both cell phones and other mobile devices.

Check out the following video for in-depth information on Microban iSkin protective cases and skins.

More than half the surveyed users (63 percent) said they have answered a phone call in the bathroom, and almost half (41 percent) reported initiating a phone call. That’s not all, however: What goes on behind the walls of the stalls is anything a mobile phone is capable of. Sixty-seven percent said they have read a text, and 39 percent have surfed the Web. Men work more from the bathroom—20 percent said they have participated in work-related calls, versus 13 percent of their female colleagues.

As expected, Gen Y respondents are the pacesetters in the “mobile everywhere” movement, with 91 percent using their phone in the bathroom. Still, older generations are not far behind. Eighty percent of Gen X reported using the phone in the bathroom, as did 65 percent of Baby Boomers and 47 percent of the Silent Generation.

While online, they are doing more than just surfing; 16 percent of Gen Y report they have made an online purchase while in the bathroom.  The study indicates that 87% of Droid users (Motorola Droid RAZR, Samsung Galaxy S 2, HTC Amaze, LG Optimus 2X) and 84% of Blackberry users (Bold 9900 Touch, Bold 9790 , Curve 9370) followed by  77% of iPhone users are particularly likely to browse and buy in the bathroom – 22 percent have made a purchase, versus 10 percent of Americans with mobile phones overall.

“The writing is on the stall,” said 11mark principal Nicole Burdette. “This study confirms what we all know: that the last private place is no longer private.”

By Aldo Panessidi

At one point in time HTC was the crowned king of Android… releasing nearly a dozen different models in Canada last year.  From the HTC Amaze being like its namesake amazing, the HTC Desire being sleek and alluring to the HTC Raider having a big bold display .  However, HTC’s market strategy to have a model to please everyone, in fact, ended pleasing a very small portion of the smartphone market space.

In a recent interview HTC’s Phil Roberson made it clear that HTC was moving away from its strategy of flooding the market with devices in favour of focusing  on delivering ‘hero’ based technology and designs.   As Roberson indicated “HTC had tried to do too much in 2011 and oversaturated the field with devices.  This year would be about making something special or having fewer but more distinctive devices.”

Leaving your valuable HTC mobile devices unprotected is risky!  Discover the latest innovative protection solutions… stylish top brand bags, sleeves and cases specifically designed to protect your devices from scratches and blemishes.  Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside these brand name protection accessories combine complete device coverage with sleek artistic expression.

A consolidation might be necessary in the face of stiff competition. Its profits fell by 25 percent this fall after both Apple and Samsung carved into its once safe sales. Apple is virtually the opposite of HTC and has just three iPhones on the market, two of which were old models with configurations trimmed back. It has had no problems faring well by both outpacing and outselling the Samsung cell phones , which itself is in HTC’s situation of having many phones that cater to every possible niche.

Enhance your mobility and turn your HTC device into a power tool with select  accessories such as; stylus & pens, micro SD memory cards, batteries, docking stations, Bluetooth headsets, data cables and glider gloves all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

In Canada, the “hero” devices are the Samsung Galaxy S II series, which HTC CEO Peter Chou called “nuclear weapons.” And though HTC has seen its fair share of success, 2012 needs to be a year of re-growth and rebuilding for them, focusing on fewer smartphones centred around a core brand.

By Aldo Panessidi

The world’s greatest tech show – CES 2012 – kicked off on Monday, January 9th… and will run until Friday January 13th.

With more than four decades of success, the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) reaches across global markets, connects the industry and enables CE innovations to grow and thrive. The show is produced by Consumer electronic Association, the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $186 billion U.S. consumer technology industry. CEA represents more than 2,000 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of consumer electronics products. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.

This year’s show is held at the Hilton Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas and will cover more than 1.8 million square feet which is equivalent to 35 American football fields with over 2700 exhibitors and close to 200,000 attendees from across the globe.

Most of the leading smartphone and wireless mobile device (such as tablets) manufacturers and vendors will be unveiling their latest product and technology. In the same breath, these manufacturers will be showcasing their latest in innovative protection solutions… … stylish top brand bags, sleeves and cases specifically designed to protect your devices from scratches and blemishes. Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside these brand name protection accessories combine complete device coverage with sleek artistic expression.

The following capture the most important CES smartphone and wireless mobile device news and product video overview:

	LTE-packing Nokia Lumia 900 is finally official, exclusive to AT&T HTC Titan II vs. Nokia Lumia 900 vs. Samsung Focus S – the ultimate WP showdown [TABLE]  Nokia Lumia 900 – specs • hands-on
	New Samsung Series 9 ultrabook comes in 13.3″ and 15″ versions, the small one weighs just 1.16kg Samsung and AT&T unveil Note, Skyrocket HD and Exhilarate Android-powered webcam-like device, the Samsung inTouch, adds Smart TV magic to your boring HDTV Sprint unveils Samsung Galaxy Nexus LTE Verizon debuts Galaxy Tab LTE   Verizon Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE- specs • hands-on • second hands-on AT&T Galaxy Note LTE – specs • hands-on • second hands-on Samsung Skyrocket HD – specs Samsung Exhilarate – specs Samsung Galaxy Nexus LTE – specs
	Sony Ericsson LiveView successor spotted at CES, announcement seems imminent The Sony Xperia ion coming to AT&T in Q2 2012 Sony announces Xperia S with a 12MP camera and HD screen  Sony Xperia ion – specs • hands-on Sony Xperia S – specs • hands-on
	LG brings a ton of new HDTV stuff to CES, 3D is everywhere, and there’s a motion-controlled remote with voice input LG Spectrum goes official, joins the Verizon LTE gang on Jan 19 Sprint unveils LG Viper  LG Viper- specs LG Spectrum – specs • hands-on
	HTC Titan II vs. Nokia Lumia 900 vs. Samsung Focus S – the ultimate WP showdown [TABLE] LTE HTC Titan II with 16 MP camera revealed, heads for AT&T HTC Titan II - specs • hands-on • camera samples
	Acer announces Aspire S5 and Aspire Timeline Ultra Ultrabooks, claims the former to be the world’s thinnest Acer showcases the new Iconia Tab A700, comes with a quad-core processor and a full HD display
	Verizon announces several Droid RAZRs  Motorola RAZR MAXX – specs • hands-on Motorola Droid 4 - specs • hands-on
	Lenovo continues CES invasion with IdeaCentre B-series all-in-ones and refreshed desktops Lenovo announces IdeaPad S200 and IdeaPad S206 netbooks, will launch in June Lenovo IdeaPad U310 and U410 new Ultrabook laptops get under the spotlight Lenovo unveils Ideapad S2, the S2 smartphone and K91 TV
	Huawei Ascend P1 and Ascend P1 S droid beasts announced  Huawei Ascend P1 – specs • hands-on Huawei Ascend P1 S – specs • hands-on
Misc	Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update starts rolling out for the ASUS Transformer Prime ASUS and NVidia CEOs show a 7-inch Tegra 3-powered tablet with ICS for $249 Gigabyte keeps Atom dream alive with Cedar Trail powered T1006M convertibe netbook and tablet, Windows 7 on board In case of emergency: The new SpareOne mobile phone promises to hold its charge for up to 15 years Fujitsu showcases quad-core Tegra 3 smartphone at CES Parrot shows AR.Drone 2.0 at CES – now with 720p video recording, easy sharing and sturdier hardware OCZ Lightfoot SSD boasts Thunderbolt connectivity, speeds beyond belief Canon PowerShot G1 X is a 14MP compact with a DSLR-sized 4:3 image sensor • Canon G1 X hands-on Fujifilm announced rangefinder-style, mirrorless X-Pro1 camera, to cost $1,700 at launch SanDisk unveils the world’s fastest SDXC card, promises write speeds of up to 45MB/sToshiba showcase three mysterious tablets at CES and tell us nothing about them Razer reveals Project Fiona, a tablet with controllers attached to it running on a Core i7 and Windows 8

Many thanks to GSM Arena for the above references and links.

By  Aldo Panessidi

A new report from industry luminary ABI Research indicates that more than 50% of all unlocked cell phones will be capable of running on 4G or 3G data networks.  Jake Saunders, VP of Forecasting for ABI Research suggests that . “As the festive cheer of the holiday season dies away, the mood among handset vendors remains quietly confident regarding 2012.   The outlook will yield growth in the order of 8%, netting 1.67 billion handsets shipped worldwide by the end of 2012. Particularly notable is for the first time, 3G and 4G handset shipments will capture more than 50% of total handsets shipped.”  The consumer’s appetite for  high end mobile devices will also drive the after sales cell phone and tablet accessories market.

Leaving your valuable mobile devices unprotected is risky!  Discover the latest innovative protection solutions… stylish top brand bags, sleeves and cases specifically designed to protect your devices from scratches and blemishes.  Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside these brand name protection accessories combine complete device coverage with sleek artistic expression.

In an earlier report ABI Research identified the worldwide after-market wireless devices accessories sales increasing to more than $50 Billion by 2015.  Key accessory market indicators were identified as:

Protective Solutions – Bags, Sleeves, Cases and Screen Protectors – $1.2 billion

Hands Free Solution – BlueTooth Headsets and BlueTotth Car Kits – $920 million

Power Solutions – Desktop Chargers, Car Chargers, Wall Chargers, Batteries – $766 million

Memory Solutions – Micro SD Cards and Data Cables – $529 million

Personalization Solutions – Cases & Skins – $520 million

Audio Solutions – Speakers, Earpieces & Headsets – $308 million

In the second half of 2011, top tier mobile device vendors unleashed marketing promotions targeting the upward mobile market audience in emerging smartphone and table markets.   Samsung, used clever ads downgrading Apple users while extolling the benefits of the Galaxy S II X phones and Galaxy Tablet lines of business to make substantial inroads  into these market spaces. Apple is expanding sales channels in emerging markets, with greater success in China than it’s having in India, but is also targeting South American markets such as Brazil. HTC is gaining traction in China, but developed markets such as North America and Europe continue to be the mainstay of its “ship into” markets. RIM, despite its weakness in apps-capable smartphone markets, continues to do well in messaging-centric emerging markets such as Indonesia. Nokia hopes to benefit from Windows Phone 7 Lumia series launches in India (Dec-2011) and China (in 1Q-2012).

By Aldo Panessidi

Despite its performance to date in the mobile tech, Microsoft, who currently owns 2% of the market share, is still managing to effectively keep itself in the public eye with newsworthy and surprising actions. Case and point is the Microsoft sanctioned and collaborated jailbroken Windows Phone 7.   Discover an extensive array of Android wireless devices innovative protective cases and skin accessories designed to  deliver modern style, stunning design and smart protection.  Make your mobile devices stand out.  Customize your look – how cool can you be?

Announced in November of 2011 by the Chevron WP7 team that had initially brought the technology and work-around to Microsoft, the mobile world was set back on its heels. Considering the reaction of Research In Motion after the Blackberry PlayBook tablet, jailbreak, this writer is inclined to say Microsoft marketed itself well in taking the high road.

What did this sanctioned jailbreak really mean though? Between Chevron WP7 and Microsoft they created a device that would empower users to actively break into their Windows Phone OS and install their « homebrew applications » while bypassing the huge Marketplace availability  of side loaded apps. This is indicative of an ever growing community of consumers that leverage the power of unlocked cell phones to choose their preferred service providers and break away from long term service contracts… while customizing their phones with both apps and cell phone accessories of their choice.

For the more tech savvy crowd out there, the ability the customize a smartphone is a huge selling point that could make Microsoft more competitive in this market. In fact, the Chevron WP7 team is sold out! Clearly demand has been higher than expected and the initial 10,000 unlocked tokens went fast. According to Rafael Rivera, a spokesperson, those tokens were sold at $9 a piece with the revenue to be split between Microsoft and the Chevron WP7 team.   Enhance your mobility and turn your device into a power tool! Discover select accessories, such as stylus & pens, SD Micro memory cards, batteries, speakers and glider gloves all specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

So what is next? Why not simply make additional tokens available with another agreement with Microsoft and continue to increase sales and promote the Windows Phone? Well, it looks as though the team does not want to press its luck with the Goliath technology company. In the interim, WP7 customers can invest in accessorizing their device with peripheral technologies (speaker docks, hands-free headsets, and the myriad of other fun gadgets available). For those not satisfied with acquisition, there are other jailbreak methods available to Samsung Galaxy cell phones or HTC Jetstream tablets, but these are not manufacturer endorsed. But, customers may have an easier time finding these same devices unlocked to exercise some of their consumer power.

By Megan Fleet

Every brand and company has its shtick, its M.O., its press friendly sound bytes. Google is no different when espousing the virtues of its Google Android operating system at each event they are able to use a soapbox and spread their smartphone evangelism. The main gospel is the Android culture of openness and the lack of limitations is to the benefit of the consumer.

This is great PR spin. And this writer truly loves a good euphemism laced with truth. So, while Android is more open that its competitors, it is comparative. When held up to open-source software like Linux, it is actually quite closed. Hence, a Hollywoodesque Benniffer moniker is bound to catch: Clopen.

At the moment, Google makes the Android OS source code available to companies and individuals to customize to their liking. Very open and transparent, non? Flip side of this coin is the Google mobile suite: Gmail, Android Market, Google Maps, and the long list of “Google” stamped functions. These are closed sourced. The double talk is confusing for customers. Especially when end users purchase a no-Market Android device. Not good PR.

Throw in the custom skins and fragmentations used by the varied carriers and manufacturers and there is a varying standard of quality for the smartphones bearing the Android and Google names. This is damaging to a brand. In fact, Marketing Land’s Danny Sullivan wrote that these quality control discrepancies are resulting in customers with outdated devices in their hands. This particular quirk can be addressed with accessories (protective cases, upgraded screen skins etc), but what is under the hood is harder to resolve.

Case in point: the latest Android OS release, Ice Cream Sandwich. Various manufacturers have hedged and speculated about when the update would be available and on what phones and what carriers (at least with an unlocked phone, the customer will have more say in to get the latest Android OS). As of right now, only one physical device has the update on it. The flagship Android phone, Galaxy Nexus. Newer devices like the DROID RAZR, DROID Bionic, and the Rezound should see the update later in 2012, but there are many others like the LG Revolution (launched only 7 months ago) that will never get the ICS upgrade treatment because of the carrier (please see above note about unlocked phones!).

Luckily for customers, the Open Handset Alliance which encompasses major US players (LG, HTC, Motorola, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T to name a few) which has pledged with Google to bring an end to fragmentation and bring the latest Android OS to devices if the smartphone release is 18 months old or younger.

By Megan Fleet

Have you ever tried to research existing patents? It is a crazy and convoluted process that is often counterintuitive. For example, there are companies that purchase patents as a means of earning revenue through lawsuits instead of for developing and promoting new technology. They are called Patent Trolls. If you find a new way to make toast? Patent it!   Leaving your valuable mobile devices unprotected is risky!  the latest innovative protection solutions allow you to protect your devices from scratches and blemishes with stylish top brand bags, sleeves and cases.  Tough on the outside, sweet on the inside our brand name protection accessories combine complete device coverage with sleek artistic expression.

This may be the route Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer, HTC, may take after Monday’s ruling by the United Stated International Trade Commission which found HTC in violation of Apple patents.  XMI speakers deliver uncompromised sound quality and a revolutionary design accentuating today’s interactive lifestyle.   In addition, earpieces and headsets combine sophisticated style and precision engineering that deliver brilliant sound for your total listening pleasure.

Right now, a ban on the manufacturer’s smartphones that incorporate the offending technology will go into effect April of next year. This ban could mean seriously bad news for their US sales. Still waiting to hear which smartphone and  tablet devices will be affected and what their strategy to sidestep this checkmate will be.

Apple’s late CEO, Steve Jobs, initiated this legal flurry in March of 2010 with a filing of 10 complaints against HTC for patent infringement. The verdicts have so far been mainly in Apple’s favor and validate Jobs’ comment at the time: “We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We’ve decided to do something about it.”  Get powered up for work, life and play easily and conveniently with desktop chargers , wall chargers and car chargers.   Get all the power and energy you need for the mobile lifestyle.

For some more clarity in a mutli-level maze of lawsuits between Apple and HTC, patent expert Florian Muller of FOSS Patents shed some light on the technology in question and the injunction applied to it. According to Muller, the injunction will affect handsets that use “data tapping.” This is a feature that users have come to expect in their smartphones regardless of manufacturer, carrier, or operating system. Google will have to use some creative thinking to work around patent infringement to avoid a negative impact on sales when the ban is put in place.

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Apple – HTC Saga Continues….

By Aldo Panessidi

In a round robin style of legal actions, the US International Trade Commission has agreed to revisit a decision made by a judge earlier this year. That particular ruling was not to the liking of Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer, HTC, as the decision cleared Apple of four patent violation accusations.  Leaving your valuable mobile devices unprotected is risky!  Protect your devices from scratches and blemishes with the latest stylish top brand bag, sleeves and case accessories.

Despite HTC’s tag line of “Quietly Brilliant,” the company has not been quiet in this technological battle of wills with Apple. And, as the first smartphone to market using Android OS technology, this corporate judicial sparring has likely been in the works for a number of years. The October ruling by an ITC judge determined that the HTC owned patents related to power management and phone dialing were not violated by Apple’s iPhone 4s, iPad 3G or iPod Touch.

In true legal relay fashion, the ITC decision came right before a ruling on a case brought against HTC by Apple which will determine if the smartphones manufactured by HTC are the culprits in patent infringement. As the HTC claim included Apple’s tablet technology, this writer does wonder if the HTC Flyer tablet will come under scrutiny as well. Taking their claim to where it matters most, Apple is pursued an injunction which will bar the rival HTC from distributing and selling products that include patent-violating technology in the US beginning in April 2012.  Enhance your mobility… turn your device into a power tool.  Discover our the accessories, stylus & pens, SD micro cards, data cables, desktop chargers, car kits and special glider gloves specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

For now it looks as though Apple has won the battle. However, based on the volley of legal actions between the two companies in recent months, there will likely be more news to follow. Who knows, with the forces of Apple, HTC (and Google Android perhaps?), these lawsuits could easily start to drift into patent questions around docking stations, hands free technologies, and other consumer inspired accessories. Stay posted for the next move in the game.

Discover wide selection of top quality, innovative protective solutions and premium electronic accessories from the industry’s most leading brands .

The Hottest Brands · The Coolest Products · The Lowest Prices

PureMobile has an accessory solution for every lifestyle…. This is personal. This is you. This is  Shopping Simplified.

By: John Castell

As the Android trend moves towards bigger screens, more “phone real estate” and the bigger-is-better design, it is refreshing to see a consistency with the smartphone manufacturer, HTC and its thoughtful inclusion of smaller footprint handset offerings including a wide HTC unlocked cell phone line of business.  The latest is a lovely mix of diminutive and rugged which has been christened Explorer. In an amalgamation that is sure to please, this is a small phone that packs the same punch as its predecessors by sporting the Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread with Sense UI 3.5.  Leaving your valuable mobile devices unprotected is risky!  Protect your devices from scratches and blemishes with the latest stylish top brand bag, sleeves and case accessories.

However, the smartphone market is becoming increasingly competitive amongst manufacturers, OS developers, and carriers who are all trying to make their indelible mark on consumers by employing consumer friendly choices like unlocked phones and must have protective cases and skins accessories. So what makes HTC cell phone Explorer stand out? simple… how light and compact it is, Adobe Flash support (yay!), incredibly fast boot up times, and some seriously nice stats for its Snapragon chipset, Gingerbread OS, memory capabilities etc.  Enhance your mobility… turn your device into a power tool.  Discover our the accessories, stylus & pens, SD micro cards, data cables, desktop chargers, car kits and special glider gloves specifically designed to make your devices functionally efficient and performance rich.

For all its perks, consumers should be aware of the slow SPU, fixed focus camera, and the lack of a document viewer and secondary video call camera. What’s more, the really tangible, joy inspiring accessories are not to be found in the standard retail package. A compact charger, microUSB cable, and… that’s it. No headset even. Get uuncompromised sound quality and a revolutionary design accentuating today’s interactive lifestyle.  Earpieces and headsets combine sophisticated style and precision engineering that deliver brilliant sound for your total listening pleasure.

Luckily customers can customize with quality Bluetooth headsets of their choice, a car charger and personality inspired cases and skins to highlight what makes their choice of phones different and unique in a smartphone world dominated by Apple and Samsung (also allows customers to choose to embrace the rubberized “tough” look of the phone or to pick from a variety of colors).

Overalll, the Explorer is an unexpected gem in the smartphone lineup that made the most of its 600MHz processor and chipset and was also able to truly ac as a multimedia device with its easy handling of Flash content (games and video were a breeze for the Explorer). As an entry level device, it is a wonderful option that can easily be customized and decked out with your mobile accessories of choice. Keep a look out for unlocked versions and start your shopping around!

By Adhurim Murtezai