Nearly half of all U.S. teens own an iPhone, 62 percent plan to buy one

A new study released by Piper Jaffray on Tuesday notes the iPhone is once again at the top of the heap for U.S. teens, with 48 percent owning a version of the smartphone, while 62 percent said they planned to make the Apple handset their next phone. 

Source: Piper Jaffray

As noted by Fortune, Piper Jaffray's 25th bi-annual teen survey (PDF link) found Apple's iOS devices to be the most desirable telecom products, outperforming offerings from manufacturers using Google's Android operating system. 

The wide-ranging survey, which includes metrics on everything from dining preferences to fashion, polled 1,600 teens from high-income and 3,600 teens from average-income families in classroom visits and electronic surveys.

Key findings:

• 59% of teens say they are likely to buy an iOS device (unchanged from fall) and 21% are likely to buy an Android device (was 20%)
• 48% of teens already own an iPhone, compared with 40% last fall
• 62% of teens plan on making an iPhone their next mobile device (flat vs. fall 2012)
• 23% expect to buy an Android phone, up from from 22% last fall

According to the study, 91 percent of teens said they plan on buying a smartphone for their next high-tech device, a number up from 86 percent last spring and 90 percent last fall. 

As for tablets, 51 percent of respondents said they already own one, up from 44 percent last fall. Apple's iPad saw a decrease in marketshare, dropping from 72 percent to 68 percent, though 68 percent of teens said they plan to buy the device.

Apple appears to have a firm hold on the teen community, and while Android made some slight sequential gains, the overall market appears to be skewed toward iOS.

HTC Handed out $100 Coupons and Hot Drinks at Galaxy S4 Launch Event

Back in the day, Apple was the only company to grab a lot of attention for its events. Well, for the past couple of years, Samsung has been able to generate the same amount of attention for its Galaxy line of devices. Although, this time at the launch of Galaxy S4 in NYC, competitors tried to steal Samsung’s thunder by using some of the same advertising methods, and even showing up at the event.

For the Galaxy S4 event in New York, Apple’s executive gave interviews, LG tried to demean the Galaxy S4′s launch by using advertising in Times Square, but HTC did something even more interesting. HTC tried to bribe some people, along with the press, who showed up for the Galaxy S4 launch. HTC sent a marketing team to the event to divert Galaxy fans, and grab some attention for their own devices. They tried to lure the long queue of press reps outside the event hall.

HTC doesn’t want people to buy the latest Galaxy S4, of course they don’t; what they want is for consumers to to go for their recently launched, flagship phone, the HTC One instead. The marketing reps for HTC tried to steal Galaxy S4 fans, by offering hot drinks, but more importantly, offering $100 coupons – you read that right, $100!

It is actually quite a bold move by HTC, and one that has indeed garnered a lot of attention. Generating the most buzz, besides sending beautiful young women with hot drinks, was the $100 coupons. Each coupon guarantees $100 in value, for any existing handset, as long as you are willing to trade it in for an HTC One.

Therefore, if anyone left the Unpacked Event disappointed by the latest Galaxy S4, they had an option to buy a shiny new HTC One; and best of all, save a hundred bucks on it as well!

HTC’s move might just be the beginning; chances are big tech companies will resort to the same type of marketing strategies in the future. As smartphones become more and more similar, so will the marketing campaigns or strategies. Samsung has just bumped up the Galaxy S3 in terms of features, mostly on software. There’s little one can do in terms of innovation every 12 months, after all. In the future, smartphone choices will come down to better design and cheaper pricing for individuals.

The HTC One trade program will be effective until April 4. So, if you’re looking for a better price on a smartphone, then this offer might be the best option for you. Just trade in your old phone and get a shiny new all-aluminium unibody HTC One, and save $100 – that’s got to be the best deal for a handset 

APPLE COOKS UP DIY IOS APPS

There are more than 550,000 iOS apps. Imagine how many more there would be if creating them required little or even no coding experience.
That’s the basic premise behind “Content Configuration for Device Platforms,” an Apple patent application (No. 20120089933) published in April. Apple’s proposed tool aims to avoid shortcomings that are found in similar GUI-centric products for website development.
“In most instances, such tools can only assist users with basic features,” says Apple in its patent application. “Users wanting customized elements must still have knowledge of one or more computer-programming languages. For example, while some web-content development tools can assist with the creation of basic hyper-text markup language (HTML) content, these tools have even more limited capabilities to edit cascading style sheet (CSS) elements.”
Apple aims to avoid those kinds of drawbacks. For example, “the authoring tool leverages a JavaScript library running in the background to enhance the code elements by writing additional code that facilitates the smooth functioning of the objects defined by the code elements, even when those objects are implemented on diverse devices. The JavaScript library instantiates the objects specified by the user using the authoring tool and generates additional code (HTML/CSS/JavaScript) as needed to display the content. This allows the authoring tool to substitute alternate implementations for various situations, such as diverse devices, as needed.”
The mention of “diverse devices” is noteworthy since device fragmentation is currently a major headache in the Android world but not in iOS. It’s possible that Apple plans -- as rumored -- to expand its iOS device lineup into smaller iPads and larger iPhones, as well as PCs. If so, the proposed tool could help smooth over the differences that would result.
HyperCard for Mobile?
Not surprisingly, Apple declined to provide input for this article, so we asked three experienced iOS developers to give their thoughts on the patent application. Here are highlights of what they had to say:
“This sort of looks like a modern incarnation of HyperCard,” says one major game developer who preferred not to be identified for fear of irritating Apple. “HyperCard was years ahead of its time -- so far ahead, in fact, that it didn’t really fit into the market at the time of its release.
“Despite solving a problem that nobody really had yet, HyperCard brought basic application development to the masses. Kids could develop apps in it. It was visual, powerful and easy to use. Depending on how Apple positions this new tool, I can see it playing a role similar to HyperCard,” says the anonymous game developer.
Another developer -- Charley Price, co-founder and chief creative officer of Hidden Variable Studios -- agrees that the tool appears useful. “While that’s no doubt a great help for any native developer, it will certainly help novice developers the most,” says Price.
Even so, Price cautions that the tool alone can’t guarantee an app’s success. “While UI is important, there’s so much more that goes into building a great app,” says Price. “You will still need an innovative concept or a unique take on an existing consumer need, which adds a fair amount of complexity and no doubt requires a fair degree of programming know-how. There’s no silver bullet that offsets the many nuanced complexities of development, but this should encourage many more developers to give it a go, which is great to see!”
Android, meanwhile, has a few tools of its own to make the learning curve as flat as possible. One is example is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s App Inventor, which is currently under development.
HTML5 = Loss of Control?
Some developers wonder why Apple would want to encourage the development of Web apps, which are inherently cross-platform, rather than maintaining its current ecosystem, including the 30 percent royalty that Apple would lose in an HTML5 world. In fact, the tool has features for accommodating the kind of device diversity that cross-platform development entails.

“At the moment, HTML5 on mobile is pretty terrible, so there’s no particular threat to Apple’s app ecosystem,” says the anonymous game developer. “But it’s certainly not in their long-term interest to support a transition away from native apps and toward HTML5 apps.
“Finally, HTML5 and Web-based apps are naturally much less responsive than native applications. Apple is interested in having the best, most responsive, least complicated user interface on its devices. It’s hard to imagine that they’d be satisfied with what HTML5 can produce today, though I suspect it will eventually be good enough.”
The proposed tool may be less about expanding the iOS ecosystem and more about maintaining the status quo, says Amit Knaani, ooVoo’s head of product.
“The patent describes an authoring tool that produces multimedia content based on Web technologies such as HTML5, CSS and JavaScript,” says Knaani. “The described tool isn’t a software-development tool, not even for someone with little or no development experience. The description resembles the latest authoring tools from Apple, such as iAd Producer or, more recently, iBooks Author. This patent might just exist to protect the next generation of these tools.”


Read more: Apple Cooks up DIY iOS Apps http://www.digitalinnovationgazette.com/platforms/diy_ios_apps/index.html#ixzz2PkDh6XhH
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Is this the world’s worst web site name?

Quite possibly.

So you create a sort of “eLance for legal cases” and you need to come up with a name.

You end up with…

Shpoonkle.com?

Oh c’mon. You can’t be serious.

Shpoonkle.com has been out for a while, but I just heard about it today. The site lets you post details of the legal work you need done and lawyers will bid for your work. It’s a lot like eLance.com.

But the name…it’s so painful.

Company founder Robert Niznik told VentureBeat last year about the name:

“Shpoonkle is a funny word…It brings a smile to your face, and it is definitely something you will remember.”

OK, so I’ll admit that it did get a reaction from me. Even after saying the word aloud to myself a couple times, I spit my water out when I heard it spoken in a serious tone. (See video below.)

Sorry, Robert. It’s not something “you will remember”, other than how stupid it is.

Tell someone to go to Shpoonkle.com, and they’ll have to ask you to spell it. Then they’ll say “Wait, what?” and ask you to to spell it again.

Even writing this article I’ve had to double check that I’m spelling it right each time.

And the “funny word” (and logo) doesn’t give me any confidence in your service, even if I think you’re on to something.

I will give you 2 points for thinking to also register Schpoonkle.com, though.

Lawyer defends record of Oklahoma dentist in HIV-exposure scare

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - A lawyer for an Oklahoma oral surgeon accused of using improper sterilization procedures and rusty surgical tools that may have exposed patients to HIV and hepatitis said on Wednesday his client had an impeccable record and provided dedicated care.

The attorney for Dr. Scott Harrington did not address the specific allegations of improper care that have been lodged by state regulators. Instead, Tulsa lawyer James Secrest II issued a statement that defended Harrington's professional history.

"For almost 35 years, Dr. Harrington has provided Oklahomans with dedicated oral surgical care," the statement said. "His previous record with the dental board is impeccable."

It continued: "He is taking the recent allegations very seriously and is fully cooperating with theOklahoma Dental Board. At this time, out of respect for his patients and the sensitivity of the issues, Dr. Harrington will make no further comment on this matter."

Health authorities are contacting 7,000 of Harrington's patients by mail to recommend they have their blood drawn so it can be screened for hepatitis and HIV.

More than 1,200 patients have been tested since Saturday. Results should be available in about two weeks, health officials said.

In addition to a home in the Tulsa area, property records show that Harrington owns a 2,504-square-foot home in Arizona, tucked into the desert landscape near a posh resort in Carefree, Arizona.

A man who was at that Arizona property on Wednesday was asked by Reuters to respond to the Oklahoma allegations.

"I appreciate the opportunity, but I have no comment at this time," he said. He declined any additional comment, saying, "You are not authorized to be on this property."

Harrington is scheduled to appear April 19 at a hearing of the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry, which could revoke his license to practice. The board has filed 17 administrative complaints alleging Harrington provided unsafe care that may have exposed his patients to infectious diseases.

Harrington, 64, voluntarily surrendered his license after his offices were visited by investigators, who believe one of Harrington's patients contracted hepatitis at his office.

(Additional reporting by David Schwartz in Arizona; Editing by Corrie MacLaggan, Cynthia Johnston and Lisa Shumaker)

Tim Cook's apology to Chinese customers fully translated, published online

A translated version of Apple CEO Tim Cook's apology letter to Chinese customers over apparent after-sales service concerns was published on Thursday, giving deeper insight into the tech giant's tactics in the region. 
Translated by Forbes contributor Laura He, Cook's letter apologizes for "misunderstandings" regarding Apple's warranty policies, while announcing new iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S repair initiatives specifically designed for China. 

As noted by He, Apple did not make an English version of the letter available, saying it was meant only for the Chinese market. 

Selected portions of the translation:

Dear Chinese consumers:

Over the past two weeks, we have received a lot of feedback about Apple’s repair and warranty policy in China. We have made a profound reflection on these opinions, studied China’s “Three Guarantees” regulations together with government authorities, examined how we communicate about our repair policy, and checked our management practice for Apple’s authorized service providers. We are aware that insufficient communications during this process has led to the perception that Apple is arrogant and disregard, or pays little attention to, consumer feedback. We express our sincere apologies for any concern or misunderstanding arising therefrom.

[…]

Meanwhile, we also realize that we still have a lot to learn on operating and communicating in China. Here, we assure you, Apple’s commitment and enthusiasm for China is not different than any other country. Our ideal is to give the best user experience and customer satisfaction, even more it is our promise. It has been deeply rooted in Apple’s corporate culture. We will make unremitting efforts to achieve this goal.

[…]

We realize that our website didn’t clarify the policy before. We hope the following statement can answer all the questions about the service provided by Apple.

Apple is making greater efforts to ensure Apple’s service providers to follow our policies and endeavor to offer consumers the highest quality service.

[…]

We will make unremitting efforts and continuous monitoring of Apple’s authorized service providers to make sure consumers get the highest quality service.

Now, it’s convenient to give feedback on service-related issues.

[…]

We give our heartfelt thanks to everyone for valuable feedback. We always bear immense respect for China and the Chinese consumers are always our priority among priorities.

Tim Cook

Apple CEO

Cook issued the letter, which was subsequently posted to the homepage of Apple's Chinese website, came after state-run media outlets lambasted the company for allegedly nefarious warranty practices. One day after the apology was posted, those same publications, as well as the Chinese Foreign Ministry,heaped praise on Apple for taking accountability.

Apple reportedly closing in on deal with record labels for 'iRadio' service, could sign within a week

A report on Thursday claims Apple is close to making a deal with two major record companies to stream their respective tracks on a purported "iRadio" music streamer, with the arrangement said to be more lucrative for the labels than existing rates paid out by Pandora.

Citing people familiar with the negotiations, CNET reports that while Apple's supposed deal will offer cheaper per-stream rates equivalent to about half of what Internet radio giant Pandora pays, it will also includes additional sources of income for record labels. 

The sources say Apple plans to leverage the installed iTunes user base to drive further revenue for record companies participating in the "iRadio" initiative. One method employs an easy way for listeners to buy a song they hear on the music streaming service, which will in turn boost download sales. Another option is to cut labels in to a revenue sharing scheme of audio ads Apple is reportedly planning to launch with the service. 

While "iRadio" have circulated for months, sources claim Warner Music and Universal Music Group could ink a deal with Apple within the next week. The report is somewhat sketchy, however, as these same people warn that the arrangement is so tenuous that it might fall apart. Concerns are also being aired over the proposed added revenue model. 

"The only thing concrete in contract is the per-play rate," said one source. "If you end up having no ad revenue, that's still zero. And we won't know what the buying habits will be. Will people streaming still take the time to buy from iTunes?"

Certain particulars are consistent with previous rumors, including a rollout goal of summertime at the latest. The sources also fleshed out the service a bit more, saying it won't offer on-demand listening, but will add features not supported by Pandora, like the ability to restart songs.

It was reported in March that an "iRadio" launch was being held up by "cheap" royalty offers on the part of Apple. The company was said to be offering about 6 cents per 100 songs streamed, exactly half of what Pandora currently pays out. Record labels believe Apple should pay about 21 cents per 100 songs, or the set rate for companies that don't own broadcast operations, as established by the Copyright Royalty Board.