iApp To Organize Your Business Cards

Apple Observer readers if you are anything like me you probably take every new business card you receive and log its information into a database of some kind. Insane and time consuming isn’t it?

I have my own system: One black card book for important cards, and a small tin can for more less important ones.

Great news, mobile app developers are trying to break people like me by offering a way to quickly scan and organize business cards. ScanBizCards ($7 on iPhones) and WorldCard Mobile ($6 on iPhones) are now ready and available for downloading.

If you already have CamCard, as your business card management system then you are ahead of the curve.. Reviewers on iTunes, Android’s Market and BlackBerry’s App World have lauded the app for its simplicity and versatility.

The app can scans cards in 12 languages, while others focus on English or, in the case of WorldCard Mobile, English and Chinese. CamCard also allows editing of the card’s image, which will appeal to those who would prefer not to see a coffee, tea or soda stain each time they view an important card.

CamCard renders nearly every letter and number correctly. After the scan, CamCard places the information into a virtual card holder that can be sorted by name. It also includes a search box at the top, a welcome feature that the other apps lacked.

The other apps were good, but over all, CamCard felt more refined.

And for those who cannot bear the thought of spending $7 on an app, CamCard offers free “lite” versions that scans cards but stores only a few.

Digital music sales level off this year

Reuters reports on data from research firm Nielsen showing that U.S. digital music sales plateaued in the first half of 2010, marking a dramatic decrease from the 28% growth enjoyed just two years ago.

According to research group Nielsen, digital sales were flat in the U.S. market after a 13 percent increase from 2008 to 2009 and 28 percent growth from 2007 to 2008.

Nielsen points to a variety of factors, including economic uncertainty, a lack of appeal for new releases, and confusion over digital sales options as possible reasons for the leveling off.

Apple has long dominated the digital download market in the U.S. and many other countries, consistently registering on the order of 70% of digital industry sales and now exceeding a quarter of all music sales. Consequently, a plateauing of digital music sales growth set against a backdrop of stagnating overall music sales suggests that Apple may have a difficult time growing its iTunes music business in the U.S. if the trend continues, given the company’s already-high market share. Data from Apple’s announced milestones for iTunes music sales already reveals a leveling off at around 250 million downloads per month.

Some hope may remain in international markets, however, as Nielsen notes growth in digital music sales in a number of other countries.

According to the Nielsen research, digital music sales were up 7 percent in Britain, up 13 percent in Germany and up 19 percent in France.

Apple has also become less reliant on iTunes Store music sales for driving hardware purchases as the company’s media devices have become more capable, allowing the company to branch out into applications, movies, and TV.

source: reuters

Apple gearing up to release the iPhone to Verizon customers.

Theappleobserver.com reports that  Apple’s suppliers indicate that the company is gearing up for an initial production run of 3 million CDMA iPhones in December of this year. This is a a follow up to a  report  last month claiming that Apple had ordered CDMA chips for just such a December production run.
The CDMA phones would allow Apple to extend the iPhone to carriers such as Verizon in the United States that run on the alternative cellular technology to the GSM standard used by all of the company’s existing iPhone partners. Reports have claimed that Apple is looking to launch a Verizon iPhone in January 2011.

Analyst Jeffrey Fidacaro with Susquehanna Financial Group said in a note to investors on Wednesday that checks with overseas suppliers indicated Apple is prepared to build 3 million CDMA iPhones in December, keeping the device on track for an early 2011 launch. That would put total GSM and CDMA iPhone production for the quarter at between 21 million and 22 million.

Fidacaro also weighed in on Apple’s production for several other products this quarter, including the iPad, MacBook, iPod, and new Apple TV. According to Fidacaro, Apple will likely see production of 7 million iPads this quarter, shipping about 4.75 million of them to customers while the rest are used to fill sales channels that have remained essentially empty as company has struggled to meet demand.

The report also shares expectations of a record 11.6 million iPhones sold during the quarter, along with production of 12 million iPods, although some of that will also be dedicated to channel fill of the new models. Finally, the report claims production of several hundred thousand units of the new Apple TV at launch, increasing to a million in December.

source : macrumors.com

NEW Apple’s 27-inch Cinema Display Comes to Apple Online Store

Apple’s 27-inch Cinema Display, first announced about a month and a half ago, is finally on sale in Apple’s online store.

It’s an IPS-based glossy monitor with a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution, with LED backlighting, 1000:1 contrast ratio and a 178 degree viewing angle. It comes with built-in MagSafe charging, iSight camera, speakers, and three USB ports.

This new display is priced at price is $999.

Double your iPhone 4′s power with Mophie Juice Pack Air Battery

The Mophie Juice Pack for your iPhone 4 is almost here. The word is that it will be available as soon as next week for $79. The Juice Pack Air features pass-through USB charging and sync with iTunes, an integrated 4 LED charge status, and a standby switch the shuts off the juice turning the appendage into a rather attractive (albeit, heavy with a 1500mAh capacity battery), soft-grip case.  I brought one for a friend last year who had an old iPhone and it worked wonders, so it should be a welcome addition for you iphone 4 users.