Sharp cuts iPad screen output

Sharp Corp has nearly halted production of 9.7-inch screens for Apple Inc's iPad, two sources said, possibly as demand shifts to its smaller iPad mini.
 
Sharp's iPad screen production line at its Kameyama plant in central Japan has fallen to the minimal level to keep the line running this month after a gradual slowdown began at the end of 2012 as Apple manages its inventory, the industry sources with knowledge of Sharp's production plans told Reuters.

Sharp has stopped shipping iPad panels, the people with knowledge of the near total production shutdown said. The exact level of remaining screen output at Sharp was not immediately clear but it was extremely limited, they said.
Company spokeswoman Miyuki Nakayama said: "We don't disclose production levels."
Apple officials, contacted late in the evening after normal business hours in California, did not have an immediate comment.

The sources didn't say exactly why production had nearly halted. Among the possibilities are a seasonal drop in demand, a switch to another supplier, a shift in the balance of sales to the mini iPad, or an update in the design of the product.

Macquarie Research has estimated that iPad shipments will tumble nearly 40 percent in the current quarter to about 8 million from about 13 million in the fourth quarter, although Apple's total tablet shipments will show a much smaller decrease due to strong iPad mini sales.

APPLE SHARES

Any indication that iPad sales are struggling could add to concern that the appeal of Apple products is waning after earlier media reports said it is slashing orders for iPhone 5 screens and other components from its Asian suppliers.

Those reports helped knock Apple's shares temporarily below $500 this week, the first time its stock had been below the threshold mark in almost one year.

Apple, the reports said, has asked state-managed Japan Display, Sharp and LG Display to halve supplies of iPhone panels from an initial plan for about 65 million screens in January-March. Apple is losing ground to Samsung, as well as emerging rivals including China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and ZTE Corp.

NO BIG CHANGE AT OTHER MAKERS
I
n addition to Sharp, Apple also buys iPad screens from LG Display Co Ltd, its biggest supplier, and Samsung Display, a flat-panel unit of Samsung Electronics.
Both LG Display and Samsung Display declined to comment.

A source at Samsung Display, however, said there had not been any significant change in its panel business with Apple, which has been steadily reducing panel purchases from the South Korean firm.

A person who is familiar with the situation at LG Display said iPad screen production in the current quarter had fallen from the previous quarter ending in December, mainly due to weak seasonal demand that is typical after the busy year-end holiday sales period.
Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu said some of the product cutbacks at Sharp are probably seasonal.

"The March quarter is almost always weaker than the December quarter," he said, adding that Apple also consolidates suppliers of certain components during quarters with weaker demand. "The Korean manufacturers are more efficient and typically have lower costs."
Apple's iPad sales may have also suffered amid a weak Christmas shopping period that hurt other consumer gadget makers as well.

CROWD OF RIVAL PRODUCTS

Apple also faces stiffening competition in tablets from a growing crowd of rival products from makers including Samsung with its Galaxy and Microsoft Corp's Surface. A consumer shift to smaller 7-inch screen devices, which Apple responded to late last year by launching its iPad mini for $329, are adding pressure.

BNP Paribas expects the iPad mini will eat into sales of the full-sized iPad, with the mini rise to 60 percent of total iPad shipments in the January-March quarter.
Looking to cut into Apple's market share in the smaller segment are Amazon.com Inc with its Kindle and Google Inc with its Nexus 7.

CEO Tim Cook, who is credited with building Apple's Asian supply chain, has overseen several gadget launches, including the iPhone 5, the latest iPad models and the iPad mini during his first year, is under pressure to deliver the kind of product innovations that wowed consumers during Steve Jobs' tenure to keep his company's profit growth stellar.

Sharp, which also supplies screens for the iPhone, has been working with its main banks on a restructuring plan after posting a $5.6 billion loss for the past fiscal year. To secure emergency financing from lenders including Mizuho Financial Group and Mitsubishi Financial Group it had mortgaged its domestic factories and offices including the one building screens for Apple.

In December, Qualcomm Inc agreed to invest as much as $120 million in Sharp and the two companies said they would work to develop new power-saving screens.

Sony: High-end Android is the future

Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai has said he plans to make Sony Mobile profitable, with the move out of feature phones and into the high-end of Android.

Talking to reporters in Japan, Harai said: "We basically are out of the feature-phone business and in the Android-based smartphone business.

"We are more in toward the high end of the market as opposed to trying to get into the commoditised portion.

Sony Mobile launched the Sony Xperia Z at CES 2013 in Las Vegas last week, looking to compete with the likes of Samsung for the Android crown.

READ: Sony Xperia Z pictures and hands-on

The Xperia Z has been well received so far, although it probably won't go on sale in the UK until March 2013. But it does outline a commitment, coming soon after the August announcement of the Xperia T, the previous flagship device.

"I believe we still have a lot of room to grow," said Harai, who plans to boost smartphone sales by 51 per cent. "We need to have products that wow people, move people emotionally.

The Xperia Z might just be that device, but the smartphone market isn't going to get any easier. HTC is rumoured to be lining up a rival device, the HTC M7 for a February launch, and there's the dominance of Samsung, which will be looking to stay on top with the next Samsung Galaxy handset.

With Mobile World Congress 2013 coming up in February, it's going to be a busy time for smartphone launches.

Archos Titanium: Affordable tablets at all sizes

Archos has added the Titanium line to its Elements range of Android tablets, introducing a selection of aggressively priced models in a range of sizes.

The Archos Titanium tablets will come in 7-, 8-, 9.7- and 10.1-inches, cutting a broad swathe through just about every screen size out there. They are said to have a "sleek" aluminium design, which at first glance looks a lot like the white iPad.

But the tablets will all have some features in common. They'll all come with a dual-core 1.6GHz processor, 1GB RAM and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Each will have an IPS display, but obviously the sizes and pixel densities differ.

The 7-inch is looking to compete with the likes of the Nexus 7 or the Amazon Kindle Fire HD. It's priced at £99, which is appealing. The 8-inch comes in at £149, giving you a little extra screen size.

Moving up, the Archos 101 Titanium, 10.1-inches, falls in against things like the big Samsung tablet. It's priced at £169, so it's still very affordable.

The star of the show, however, seems to be the Archos 97 Titanium HD. We say it's the star, because Archos is supplying the most information about it and it's detailed fully on its website, whereas the others are barely mentioned.

The 97 Titanium gets that additional HD tag because of the increased screen resolution. It has a 2048 x 1563 display, so although not the highest definition you'll find on a tablet, it's certainly up there.

The price gets up there too: it's £199, which although not hugely expensive, is a step up over the larger 10.1-inch device.

The Archos 97 Titanium has 8GB of internal memory with the option of expanding via microSD. There's a 5-megapixel camera on the rear and 2-megapixel on the front.

With all these tablets offering the same core hardware, we'd expect the experience to be pretty similar across the range, from a performance point of view at least. With these being Archos tablets, you can expect wide support for varied video formats.

No word on exactly when these tablets will be available to buy, but the Archos 97 Titanium is already listed for purchase through the Archos website.

Sony unveils waterproof phone

Great news for everyone - except perhaps mobile phone insurance companies - Sony has unveiled a waterproof smartphone.

The Xperia Z can be submerged in three feet of water for up to half an hour without damage.

Its makers say it can be dropped in the bath, in puddles - or even taken into the shower.

Other phones such as iPhone are easily damaged by water and impacts. Sony's Xperia Z is covered in tempered glass and anti-shatter film to prevent breakages, but is just 7.9mm thick.

The gadget was launched at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, and follows this year's trend for large phone screens with a five-inch Full HD display.

The phone also offers an extremely high-resolution camera - 13 megapixels, far sharper than iPhone 5's eight megapixel camera.

The Android handset also has an app built-in which extends battery life by shutting down non-essential applications.

Sony claims that the app can extend battery life by up to four times.

The handset also offers a super-fast 4G connection, and a five-inch Full HD 1080p screen.

Sony also offers a built-in music app, Unlimited, which offers access to 18 million songs.

“With Xperia Z, we are bringing over half a century of innovation in TV, imaging, music, film and gaming to create a superphone experience that truly stands out,” said Kuni Suzuki, President and CEO, at Sony Mobile Communications.

“With great specifications, Sony’s media applications, One-touch functions and outstanding battery life, Xperia Z is well positioned for leadership in the smartphone market.”

The TV of the future - 'Ultra HD', curved screens

                             Sky video - Panasonic's new 56-inch, 4K OLED television

The television of the future will be far sharper than today's best hi-def sets - and could be voice-controlled and even curved.

This year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas showed off new technologies such as 'Ultra HD' - four times crisper than today's 'Full HD' sets - and gesture controls, as well as ultra-thin 'Organic LED' sets.

There was much less fanfare around 3D, and only a few of the annual headline-grabbing "world's largest" TV sets - instead, Sony, LG, Panasonic, Samsung and Sharp are focusing on improving picture quality and hi-tech new functions such as voice commands and web connections.

Much of the showfloor TV space has been filled with Ultra High-Definition televisions, which will eventually replace that 1080p 'Full HD' set you watch each night from the sofa.

The most common resolution of 'Ultra HD' is 4K, which has four times the number of pixels as HD.

These are the small dots making up the screen image and 4K gives a resolution of 3840x2160 against the current 1920x1080 HD standard.

The TVs can show footage at roughly the same resolution as the cameras used to shoot digital films.

'Ultra HD' won't come on discs - instead, home users will download the films via broadband. Sony is to launch a download service in the U.S. this summer.

Quality though doesn't come cheap. Sony's current 84 inch 4k model costs around £17,000 and despite the Japanese giant promising to make 4K affordable for everyone, its forthcoming 55 and 65 inch UHD TVs are sure to be out of reach of most for a few years yet.

It took at least three years for HD to become affordable and mainstream on the high street from its CES debut and the same is predicted to be true of UHD.

Jonathan Marsh, home technology expert at John Lewis, said: "TVs always spark excitement at CES and this year hasn't been a disappointment.

"Many manufacturers unveiled Ultra High-Definition sets at this year's show – the latest TV innovation tipped to deliver a staggeringly realistic picture and the ability to show 3D content in better than HD quality.

"As with 3D, Ultra HD is likely to suffer from the lack of content available, but that could change quickly. UHD TV will be the standard by 2020."

That lack of content is clear with TV companies only just fully embracing HD and 3D.

Sony is also developing a 4K version of OLED display technology. OLED has been used in mobile phones for years and Apple's Retina display was designed to rival the OLED, which for example is used on the Samsung Galaxy S3.

However, it is very expensive to produce and LG's new non-4K 55 inch OLED itself costs around £8,000.

And there's no price-tag on Panasonic's unique 56 inch OLED created by 3D printing technology, which means if you have to ask, you surely can't afford one.

Mr Marsh added the trend for the next 12 months will see British consumers upgrading their screen size. He explained: "Big screen technology has improved dramatically and as larger TVs become more affordable, they are fast becoming the norm for consumers who want a more immersive entertainment experience at home.

"John Lewis figures show 64% of TV sales have been screen sizes of 40 inch plus since August 2012."

Alongside picture quality and screen size, the other TV evolution at CES continues to be the slow demise of the remote control and further attempts to have Smart TVs with apps and the internet on board take over our lives.

Samsung has enhanced its voice and motion controls letting you swipe through on-screen menus with hand gestures and allowing you to ask the TV to put on shows based on their actors.

It has even brought out a little box called the Evolution Kit that will plug into existing 2012 models to make sure they're not outdated just a year after you bought one.

New S-Recommendation technology learns what you watch and do on your TV to automatically offer personalised content choices while in a bid to battle Apple TV, owners can now "mirror" what's on their Samsung Galaxy tablets and mobile phones, showing it on the bigger screen.

Another attempt to mimic the success of Apple TV sees Archos bringing out a £99 device next month that plugs into any HDTV. It will then turn it "smart" by giving full access to Android and Google Play for games, the internet and streaming online video.

And in a nod to the future, lesser-known TV manufacturer Haier raises the prospect of a telly controlled by your eyes, selecting channels and options by blinking and moving through menus with the direction of your eyeballs. It's also claiming to work on a TV controlled simply by thought and brain waves.

However, the one TV revolution not seen at CES is any attempt by Apple to enter the television market. Experts are widely predicting 2013 will see the iPhone and iPad maker unveil its first purpose-built TV set as it makes a bid to take over our front rooms.

Samsung shows off 'unbreakable' phone which rolls up like paper

Samsung wowed an audience in Las Vegas this week with a working mobile phone screen which can be rolled and unrolled like a sheet of paper.

The screen kept working as it was rolled and unrolled - showing off that it is far more flexible than previous 'bendable' screens.

The screen uses the same OLED - organic LED - technology as many current smartphones, but encased in plastic instead of glass.

The prototype device is built to be "virtually unbreakable", Samsung claims.

The device was shown off by Brian Berkeley, senior vice-president of Samsung Display, at a presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

“Our team was able to make a high resolution display on extremely thin plastic instead of glass, so it won’t break even if it’s dropped,” said Berkeley.

“This new form factor will really begin to change how people interact with their devices, opening up new lifestyle possibilities.”

The new display is called “Youm."

Berkeley also showed off a smartphone prototype equipped with a curved edge, which works almost like a 'second screen' around the edge of the device.

The Korean technology company remained quiet on when flexible phones might go on sale

Dhyanalinga Yogic Temple

The Dhyanalinga is a Yogic temple located 30 km from Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India. The temple was consecrated by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, a yogi and mystic. The temple is consecrated using prana prathista and is dedicated for meditation. Dhyana in the Sanskrit language, means meditation and linga means form.

                                     

The Dhyanalinga Yogic Temple offers a meditative space that does not ascribe to any particular faith or belief system. The unique sunken reception engages the viewer with 17 foot white granite monolith, The Sarva Dharma Sthamba. The back of the sthamba is inscribed with the schematic of the seven chakras in human body. This chakra represents different levels of the consciousness. Symbol of the major religions of the world are inscribed on three sides of this sthamba. The Sarva Dharma Sthamba welcomes all religions as expressions of one common source.

After crossing Sthamba one can enters the temple. On left side we can see statue of Patanjali, is the Father of Yogic Science.This statue depicts Patanjali as half man and half snake. On the right is the Vanashree shrine, the feminine deity of the Dhyanalinga temple.

                                                           Dhyanalinga

Architecture of Dhyanalinga

The elliptical dome that covers the Dhyananlinga. This dome is 76 Feet diameter and 33 feet height. The dome was constructed using only bricks and stabilized mud mortar with lime, alum and herbal additives without steel,cement or concrete. The nature of this design ensures the dome a lifespan of at least 5000 years. Over 13 Feet tall, Dhyanalinga the largest mercury linga in the world. This Dhyanalinga is rises out of the seven-coiled receptacle. The Avudaiyar and Linga  are energized with the qualities of the seven chakras. Around the Linga is the Jalaseema, a pool of water. An akash ganga above the linga keeps it wet always.

Sitting inside the Dhyanalinga

The Dhyanalinga temple is held in total silence. The nature of the Dhyanalinga is such one must sit for a minimum of 15 minutes to absorb the energies of this space. Once inside, one must sit in cross legged posture with palms facing upwards.  A simple way for one to be in the space is to gaze at the linga for few minutes and close the eyes. This temple is open to all from 6am to 8pm every day.

Events and Festivals in Dhyanalinga Temple

1.Nadha Aradhana a Offering of Sound

There is no poojas are rituals are done in dhyanalinga temple. Nadha Aradhana is only offer done twice a day. It is the offering of sound which is done at 11.50 an to 12.10pm and 5.50pm to 61.pm everyday.

Aum Chanting meditation

A powerful Aum chanting meditation initiation is done inside the dhayanalinga complex everyday at 12.30pm to 1.15pm. A well trained sanyasi will initiate this chanting in omkar hall to all visitors of the yogic temple. By doing this chant one can feel tremendous health improvement in his body.

No Moon and Full Moon days

On Amavasya or no moon day and Pournami or Full Moon day, Milk is offered from 6.30 am to 12.30 pm and water from 12.30 pm to 8.00 pm. The temple is opened for men till 01.00 am on Amavasya days, as Amavasya vibrations are favorable for them. Consequently, Pournami vibrations are beneficial for women and the temple remains open up to 1:00 a.m. for them

Dhyanalinga Temple Timings

Dhyanalinga Yogic Temple remains open from 6 am to 8 pm on all days. It is advisable to bring an additional set of cloths if you wish to take a dip in the divine theerthakund (holy tank).