Native Instruments’ Maschine hardware/software bundle has become a staple in the beat-production market since its debut two years ago. Now at version 1.7, its performative and production capacities have grown to the point where dance pioneers like Underworld rely on it as a standard instrument much the way an electric guitar might be used by a rock band. Maschine Mikro is the first major hardware shift for the production platform: the newly-downsized controller easily fits into a backpack and comes in at 0 less than its bigger brother. What compromises come with the smaller footprint, and what will the price tag mean for people just getting starting in the groove production game? Read on, Lil’ Dre, for our macro view of the Mikro.

Continue reading Maschine Mikro review

Maschine Mikro review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Native Instruments  | Email this | Comments
Engadget

While Android and iOS continue to control the top of the smartphone market, we keep wondering when an ascendent third-place challenger will appear. New data from Nielsen helps explain why placing a strong third may be tough. Nielsen says that in the U.S., Android and iOS account for 71 percent of all smartphones in use, which leaves little room for competitors. But among smartphone users who downloaded an app in the last 30 days, the competition is even more lopsided: 83 percent used either an iPhone or Android.

Now, on a surface level this might seem intuitive considering how many apps are available on the two platforms. But the figures show that the top two operating systems account for a bigger chunk of app downloads than their relative footprint would logically suggest. Competitors also have apps, but these two are the leading destinations for people who are eager for mobile software.

That shows why it’s hard to break into the top of the smartphone market, which is dominated by what the New York Times‘ David Pogue calls “app phones.” It’s not enough to have elegant hardware, you have to bring a very vibrant and broad app market to consumers, too. That’s partly why iOS and Android are sitting pretty: they offer a lot of very compelling apps that make money for developers, more so on iOS but increasingly so on Android.

For competitors like BlackBerry or Windows Phone 7 to compete, they need to really bring the app heat as well. Both are working hard on doing so, but it’s hard to close the distance when iOS and Android have such a lead. And that lead also benefits Google and Apple through app lock-in, in which consumers may be reluctant to leave a platform because they have a lot of apps and data tied into one operating system. Getting someone to switch to a new platform requires a big commitment from a user, who has to know that the apps they want will be waiting for them on a new platform and that the transition, which may involve losing data, will be worth it.

Of course, the app market and the growth of the platforms are somewhat intertwined. Developers like to place their bets on the biggest and most profitable platforms and a big library of apps can help sell a platform. For someone who’s starting behind on apps, or whose device sales are fading or sluggish, it’s tough to break that cycle after it’s well under way. I think Windows Phone 7 probably has the best shot at escaping the downward spiral and gaining some momentum, but looking at the competition through the lens of the app advantage, I think it will be a harder road for Microsoft then the rosy projections painted by Gartner and IDC, who predict WP7 displacing iOS by 2015 as the chief rival to Android. The app ecosystem is a key factor to achieving that uptake.

Nokia chief Stephen Elop said as much when he announced that the move to Windows Phone 7 for Nokia smartphones was led by the need to compete on ecosystems. But I think it’s tough to keep building that ecosystem when you’re not selling that many phones. Nokia’s introduction of new phones will certainly help, but consumers are still going to see more apps on Android and iOS. And developers are going to need to see a lot more momentum before they really support WP7. There is hope for WP7, based on a recent Appcelerator/IDC developer survey, which found that WP7 was pulling away from BlackBerry as the third most popular smartphone option for developers. But WP7 will also have to vie for developer attention with the Kindle Fire, which is now the top Android tablet in the minds of Appcelerator developers.

I still hope that we’ll see more than just a two-horse race in smartphones. And it’s certainly possible we will see WP7 and BlackBerry rise to the challenge. But they’re going to have to offer competitive app marketplaces for consumers and developers. The emergence of HTML5 web apps might offset some of the existing advantage, but even if it does, it will likely take a while to really get going. For now, Android and iOS, with their app advantage, are enjoying the view from the top, without much fear of tumbling from their perch.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Connected world: the consumer technology revolution
• The future of mobile: a segment analysis by GigaOM Pro
• App Developers: Are You Ready for HTML5 and Metered Data?

alt=''
border='0'
/>

GigaOM

Continue reading Archos 80 G9 and 101 G9 hands-on (video)

Archos 80 G9 and 101 G9 hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments
Engadget

There’s been rumors of a Google-fied mobile payment system for some time, and now it looks like the Mountain View crew is teaming up with Sprint to finally make it happen. Last month, we heard that the Now Network would bring NFC payments to its customers this year, and Bloomberg reports that the partnership and payment system will make its debut on May 26th. Apparently, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C. are the first cities getting the service, which is a much broader initial footprint than its Isis mobile payment competition. The anonymous sources also say that Verifone and Vivotech are providing the hardware and software that will let you replace your credit card with a Nexus S — because you’ve always wanted to replace your credit card with your Nexus S.

Google and Sprint team up to take your digital dollars with new NFC payment system? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 May 2011 15:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Bloomberg  | Email this | Comments
Engadget

What a week! The GigaOM team spent the past week in New York City for a number of events, including our first (and definitely not last) East Coast conference, Structure Big Data. The conference is part of our plan to expand our footprint into new markets, including New York.

We kicked off the week with Om joining Nasdaq’s VP, David Wicks, to ring the closing bell. This is just the start of a closer partnership between GigaOM and the folks at Nasdaq.

That evening, we held a reception at the New York Times building, bringing together media executives, data scientists and journalists. A bunch of bloggers walked among the Times reporters’ Pulitzers — an interesting juxtaposition of old and new media.

All of this was a precursor to our main event: Structure Big Data, held at the Chelsea Piers. And it was a great success — not just in terms of attendance, though it was standing room only in the main hall. The sold-out event was also the first time that people from the Silicon Valley and New York tech communities, as well as leaders in finance, media and other New York-based industries, came together in one place to discuss how they were all using big data to gain valuable insights into their businesses. If you couldn’t make it, you can see some of the highlights in our photo gallery below or read through our coverage (with video clips) of the entire event.

Structure Big Data may have been our first big step into New York, but expect more to come. Last fall, we hired Ryan Kim, a crackerjack tech reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle, to be our “man in New York,” covering local startups and the growing app economy. In February, we hosted a Media Meetup, along with Automattic (see disclosure), to gather together the New York tech media, startup founders and venture capitalists.

This is just the beginning for us. It’s easy for tech publications to myopically focus on Silicon Valley, but increasingly, many of the exciting ideas and innovations are developing elsewhere. Our readers rely on us to find the next big ideas — wherever they are. That’s why more of our staff will be joining Ryan in New York, including Om himself who will return to his former life as a bicoastal writer. We’re looking forward to telling more of New York’s great tech stories. In the meantime, enjoy the photo gallery from Structure Big Data and a behind-the-scenes video from Nasdaq.

var galleryData = [{"title":"Om in front of Nasdaq","caption":"","thumbnail":"http:\/\/gigaom2.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/03\/bmf_7713.jpg?w=48&h=48&crop=1"}, {"title":"The GigaOM staff in front of Nasdaq","caption":"","thumbnail":"http:\/\/gigaom2.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/03\/group-1.jpg?w=48&h=48&crop=1"}, {"title":"Om Malik talks with Nasdaq Vice President David Wicks at the Nasdaq closing bell ceremony","caption":"","thumbnail":"http:\/\/gigaom2.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/03\/mc_032211_hires-2.jpg?w=48&h=48&crop=1"}, {"title":"Team GigaOM just after ringing the closing bell at Nasdaq","caption":"","thumbnail":"http:\/\/gigaom2.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/03\/bmf_7516.jpg?w=48&h=48&crop=1"}, {"title":"Structure Big Data 2011","caption":"","thumbnail":"http:\/\/gigaom2.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/03\/1z5o0504.jpg?w=48&h=48&crop=1"}, {"title":"Jeff Jonas, IBM","caption":"","thumbnail":"http:\/\/gigaom2.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/03\/jeff-jonas1.jpg?w=48&h=48&crop=1"}, {"title":"The audience at Structure Big Data 2011","caption":"","thumbnail":"http:\/\/gigaom2.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/03\/1z5o0530.jpg?w=48&h=48&crop=1"}, {"title":"Michelle Munson, Aspera","caption":"","thumbnail":"http:\/\/gigaom2.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/03\/1z5o13071.jpg?w=48&h=48&crop=1"}, {"title":"Exhibit hall","caption":"","thumbnail":"http:\/\/gigaom2.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/03\/1z5o9998.jpg?w=48&h=48&crop=1"}, {"title":"The Master Data Wranglers panel","caption":"","thumbnail":"http:\/\/gigaom2.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/03\/1z5o12491.jpg?w=48&h=48&crop=1"}, {"title":"Exhibit hall","caption":"","thumbnail":"http:\/\/gigaom2.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/03\/1z5o0056.jpg?w=48&h=48&crop=1"}, {"title":"Andy Bechtolsheim, Arista Networks","caption":"","thumbnail":"http:\/\/gigaom2.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/03\/1z5o07351.jpg?w=48&h=48&crop=1"}, {"title":"Structure Big Data 2011 at Chelsea Pier","caption":"","thumbnail":"http:\/\/gigaom2.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/03\/1z5o0494.jpg?w=48&h=48&crop=1"}, {"title":"Flip Kromer, Infochimps, and Moe Khosravy, Microsoft's Windows Azure DataMarket discuss data markets with Stacey Higginbotham","caption":"","thumbnail":"http:\/\/gigaom2.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/03\/1z5o01701.jpg?w=48&h=48&crop=1"}, {"title":"Exhibit hall","caption":"","thumbnail":"http:\/\/gigaom2.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/03\/1z5o0043.jpg?w=48&h=48&crop=1"}];

Automattic, maker of WordPress.com, is backed by True Ventures, a venture capital firm that is an investor in the parent company of this blog, GigaOm. Om Malik, founder of GigaOm, is also a venture partner at True.

Related content from GigaOM Pro (subscription req’d):

• Report: Monetizing Digital Content
• Putting Big Data to Work: Opportunities for Enterprises
• The Future of Workplaces

GigaOM

Chinese telecommunications equipment vendor Huawei has plans to invade the enterprise IT market, according to a research note out this morning from Deutsche Bank. An analyst at the firm expects the company to introduce a line of servers, low-end switches, security, VoIP and storage products designed for the enterprise before the end of this year. Huawei recently reported billion in revenue from the enterprise and organized the company into three operating segments: carrier, enterprise and devices.

The shift to enterprise sales isn’t as tremendous as it may seem, given Huawei already makes much of this type of gear for service providers to support their networks. Deutsche Bank says it’s one of the largest customers of Intel already, and it’s a huge storage player thanks to its telecom contracts. It plans to release a lighter, scaled-down version of the gear would be appropriate for the enterprise which could cause problems for Netgear, Cicso’s low-end switching business and perhaps even Dell or Hewlett-Packard. From the note:

In our conversations with the industry, we have found that most companies seem to be dismissing this opportunity, seeing Huawei as low-end gear, or an emerging market phenomenon with no footprint in enterprise hardware. We think this is the same attitude many telecom equipment makers had ten years ago, and that it would be a mistake to take Huawei’s initiatives lightly. At the very least, their entry into enterprise hardware market could bring increased pricing pressure. However, it will likely take two to three years before they can fully deliver their planned product line.

We’ve paid attention to Huawei’s rise for years, and the company has certainly made important hires and built a big enough business that it could become a credible threat in the enterprise IT industry, causing pricing competition as well as providing new innovations. Huawei’s gear in the telecom side may have started out as low-cost, but it’s currently delivering some advanced technology such as 1.2 Gbps wireless for Verizon. To count it out as it enters the enterprise seems like hubris.

Related GigaOM Pro Content (sub req’d):

• Who Will Profit From Broadband Innovation?
• 5 Companies That Ruled Mobile in 2010
• Report: How Mobile Networks Can Cut Carbon

alt='The exponential data center is here: Juniper Networks'
border='0'
/>

GigaOM