Will Android Beat iOS?

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iphone AndroidWill Android device numbers catch up with Apple's? Business Insider suggests they could, following Google's Q2 2011 earnings call.

Current Android devices total at around 130m-- with activations reaching 550000 daily, up from May's 400000.

This is above daily Apple iOS device activations, currently numbering 325000 iPhones and iPads daily.

In conclusion? Simply put, Android is "completely poised to catch up" to iOS, should Google maintain such growth, according to Business Insider.

Go Android Will Beat Out iOS Before You Know It (Business Insider)

Go Google Announces Q2 2011 Financial Results

Media-Saturn's Online Retail Dates

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Metro Group CEO Eckhard Cordes announces the dates for Media-Saturn's entry into online retail, in an interview with the Welt am Sonntag.

Media SaturnSaturn will go online in Q4 2011, while Media Markt will do so in Q1 2012-- meaning Saturn will be ready to take advantage of the holiday season.

This won't be Media-Saturn's first entry into online retail, mind. Just last April the group took over Redcoon, an retailer operating in 10 European countries.

Redcoon will continue operating alongside Saturn and Media Markt's online offerings, in a way Eckhard hopes will lead to Metro's taking over a share of at least 30% of the German online retail market.

Meanwhile Media-Saturn goes through other troubles-- police and prosecution officials search its offices and Inglostadt HQ as part of an investigation involving bribery allegations, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Go Welt am Sonntag Interview

Go Police Raid at Media-Saturn (Süddeutsche Zeitung)

Microvision's Pico Gets HDMI

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picoMicrovision's SHOWWX+ pico projector gets an HDMI update, while keeping the same portable size and weight.

It supports all iDevices, as well as anything that's HDMI-ready-- although not all devices will support full video mirroring. It is also HDCP compliant.

The projector's brightness is 15 lumens, with 5000:1 native contrast ratio and 2-hour battery life, according to Microvision. Resolution remains at 848 x 480.

Go Microvision SHOWWX+ HDMI

The Bikini Goes Solar

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Clients currently enjoying the summer sun might soon be able to use their favourite devices outside, without worrying about chargers-- thanks to Andrew Schneider's Solar Bikini.

solar bikiniThe bikini consists of 40 thin and flexible photovoltaic strips, with conductive thread holding everything together. Solar power goes through a 5V DC terminator towards a USB port.

The designer says the solar-powered swimwear can charge a smartphone or mp3 player while the wearer is busy working on their ever-important tan. They'll even be able to go swim in it, although charging while in the wet stuff is not recommended for all obvious reasons.

Prices vary between designs, although they won't come cheap. Prices range from $500 to over $1500.

Schneider's original plan was for a bikini able to power a mini-chiller for his beer, something the current design is not able to provide-- yet. He's currently working on what he calls iDrink-- men's solar shorts with enough of a surface area to provide the power for drinks-chilling duties.

Go Solar Coterie

Why Energy Efficiency Fails to Sell TVs

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As the major markets wholly convert to flat panel sets and digital broadcasting, consumers are not upgrading to larger TV sets as quickly as manufacturers hope they would-- resulting in intense competition within the TV market.

DisplaySearch however suggests makers are missing an opportunity that could bring not only value to consumers but also an increase in prices-- LED-backlit LCD TVs.

Such a feature would offer energy consumption (and thus operating costs)-- a feature makers fail to push to customers, on the (wrong) assumption that the general public fails to understand such a concept.

TV Energy

According to DisplaySearch, the industry is "removed from its end-customers", with marketing assuming consumers only care about 3D when what they really care about is-- you've guessed it-- energy consumption.

As seen in the analyst's survey data, W. European customers (just as everywhere else in the world) show a much heavier consideration for energy consumption than 3D.

The TV industry has to change track and connect with its customers, quickly-- before it ends going the way of the gas-guzzling auto, and the terrible margins that go with it.

Go Energy and Cost Savings from LED-Backlit LCD TVs Not Communicated to Consumers

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