Martin Kovacs

With the tablet market in decline, Apple will be looking to the iPad Pro to deliver momentum heading into the latter part of the year.

Apple remains the world number one tablet vendor, however the International Data Corporation (IDC) recently found that the tech giant’s third quarter shipments were down 19.7 per cent year-on-year, noting that “the days of deifying the iPad as the ultimate tablet may have come to an end”.

“Apple’s self-cannibalisation and increasing competition from PC vendors with detachable tablets have both contributed to a decline in iPad shipments,” the IDC stated. “However, the impending launch of the iPad Pro may serve as a silver lining as the market shifts towards productivity-enabling devices.”

Apple may well stake out new territory in this portion of the market, stating the iPad Pro, which is powered by a 64-bit A9X chip, delivers a performance “rivalling most portable PCs”. The Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard further extend the utility of the iPad Pro, which Apple states can deliver up to 10-hours battery life.

“The early response to iPad Pro from app developers and our customers has been incredible, and we’re excited to get iPad Pro into the hands of customers around the world this week,” Philip Schiller, Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing, commented.

“iPad Pro is the most powerful iPad we’ve ever made, giving users the ability to be even more creative and more productive with the epic 12.9″ Retina display, powerful 64-bit A9X chip and groundbreaking Apple Pencil and new Smart Keyboard.”

Decked out with a 1.3 GHz dual-core processor and 1 GB DDR3 memory, the EX2 Ultra’s drive management options include RAID 0, RAID 1, JBOD and spanning modes, while data protection options include NAS-to-NAS, USB, cloud or LAN/WAN back-up.

The EX2 Ultra NAS comes preconfigured in RAID 1, with Western Digital stating that it is “easily configurable into other data protection modes”.

There are several capacity options to choose from, ranging from unpopulated to 12 TB (with the populated versions decked out with WD Red hard drives, specifically built for NAS systems), while users can also attach compatible USB 3.0 hard drives to two USB expansion ports.

Western Digital states that, with simplified file and folder sharing, users can send customised, private links allowing recipients read/write access to particular files on the EX2 Ultra, which “features an intuitive dashboard, so user accounts can be created, features customised and storage can be monitored with ease”.

MyCloud.com web access, or the My Cloud mobile app, allows users to access their media and manage users from any internet-connected device, while WD Sync allows users to automatically synchronise their media and files across their computers and their My Cloud device.

Advanced data serving options include an integrated FTP and WebDAV server, back-up server, P2P download server and Microsoft Active Directory support, with users also able to download and run a host of third-party apps.

Users can stream videos and photos to connected TVs, media players, gaming consoles and other DLNA/UPnP devices with the included Twonky 7.2 DLNA-certified 1.5 media server, and built-in iTunes support.

“We know our My Cloud users, especially creative professionals, need comprehensive solutions as digital storage needs continue to soar as well as the need for ongoing streaming capability,” Jim Welsh, WD Branded Products executive vice president, commented.

“With the My Cloud EX2 Ultra, creative professionals are able to combine high performance with multi-tasking optimisation and data protection to create a NAS system that simplifies their work-flow and provides peace-of-mind.”

Samsung states the “displays are designed to meet the diverse requirements of personal and work lifestyles, catering to professionals, home offices and families”.

In bringing its new range to the Australian market, Samsung has cited a Harvard Medical School study, which it states found curved monitors deliver a more comfortable viewing experience for some users than comparable flat-screen alternatives.

The study found fewer reports of eye strain during and after content searches on a curved monitor than with a flat-screen monitor, Samsung states.

Four of the five new displays include embedded AMD FreeSync technology over HDMI functionality (not available on the CF391), synchronising screen refresh rates with AMD graphics cards (sold separately), helping combat input latency, stutter and lag when viewing interactive video content.

Samsung states that the CF390, CF391 and CF591 displays’ 3,000:1 static contrast ratio is nearly three times higher than standard Samsung monitor alternatives, presenting “content with deep blacks and pristine whites”, with all curved monitors reinforced with Samsung’s Vertical Alignment panel technology, helping reduce backlight bleed and producing a complete, high-quality picture.

Samsung active colour crystal technology supports a wider sRGB colour gamut with the CF591, enabling the monitor “to present a wider range of colour hues and values than conventional Samsung displays, creating a more vivid viewing experience”.

Game Mode setting can automatically adjust picture conditions, becoming lighter or darker as dictated by gameplay, helping also to minimise screen stuttering and tearing.

“The 2016 range of Samsung monitors deepens our range of beautifully crafted curved screens that will provide an incredibly rich and immersive experience,” Todd Lynton, Samsung Australia director – Business Solutions, commented.

“The monitor market is undergoing an exciting evolution in terms of panel design and technology, as well as how people use them to interact with content, whether they’re streaming online or working.”

Lynton stated that since launching its first range, “Samsung has experienced a strong uptake in demand for curved monitors”.

“We see clear growth in this market, which is why we are responding by extending our range, as well as the degree of curvature in specific ranges,” he commented.

Available now from selected retailers, the monitors are priced at:

– CF390 (22″ model) $289.95 RRP
– CF390 (24″ models) $349.95 RRP
– CF390 (27″ models) $519.95 RRP
– CF591 (27″ model) $549.95 RRP
– CF391 (32″ model) $699.95 RRP

The research additionally shows that 44 per cent of smartphone owners need the device when travelling overseas, while 41 per cent need to be contactable at all times for work, and 36 per cent of owners agree they need it to give them more control over their lives.

Among Apple owners, 50 per cent can’t live without their iPhones, with Samsung (42 per cent), HTC (43 per cent) and LG (45 per cent) smartphone owners not too far behind, followed by Nokia (34 per cent), Sony (37 per cent) and Huawei (37 per cent).

“Even the earliest smartphone adopters were quick to forget how they ever survived without one,” Michele Levine, Roy Morgan Research CEO, commented. “The proportion of owners agreeing they ‘can’t live without it’ has been fairly steady at just under half for the past five years – a rate around three times higher than among ‘dumb phone’ owners asked the same question.

“As smartphone ownership has rapidly increased, so too has the number of us who feel dependent on a mobile phone. Today there are almost seven million Australians carrying around a smartphone they say they couldn’t live without.”

Levine noted that smartphones are “firmly mainstream”, with 60 per cent of “Technophobes” from Roy Morgan’s “Technology Adoption Segments” now owning one, with handset makers having “a much wider range of consumer segments to target, and more opportunities to find, define and own a position in the market”.

“For example, Huawei smartphone owners are among the least likely to say they can’t live without it or need it,” she commented. “They are less likely to use many of the different smartphone services we monitor, including taking photos, playing music and games, streaming videos, using GPS and Bluetooth functions, and downloading and using different apps.

“They are the most likely handset owners to be using a prepaid service (around twice as likely as average), they have lower data allowances and are less label-conscious or trusting of well-known brands.

“This is a segment of ‘Older Tech Explorers’ and ‘Technology Traditionalists’, who may not be top-of-mind for other handset makers, but are customers nonetheless – and a third of the population.”

Magnets in the charging cradle help align the iPad Pro with the Smart Connector, with Logitech stating users can “just drop your iPad Pro in and go”.

“Last autumn we introduced the Logi Create – the first third-party keyboard compatible with Apple’s Smart Connector,” Michele Hermann, Logitech vice president of mobility, commented.

“With the introduction of the new 9.7″ iPad Pro, we’re excited to continue to deliver innovation – beyond the keyboard – that leverages the Smart Connector and helps you make the most of your iPad Pro, in any room at home or the office.”

Sporting high-grade aluminium, a premium finish and a curved shape, Logitech states that every detail of the Logi Base “is designed to complement the iPad Pro”.

“The drive is ideal for Australians who want cutting-edge performance, higher bandwidth and lower latency from their high-end PCs and workstations, ideal for projects such as computer-aided design, data analysis and engineering simulation,” Samsung states.

“The compact M.2 2280 form factor ensures compatibility with next-generation desktop and mobile platforms that support the M.2 PCIe slot and interface.”

Employing PCIe 3.0 and NVMe, Samsung states the 950 PRO offers improved random and sequential performance over SATA-interface drives utilising the legacy AHCI protocol, with users of applications benefiting from high IOPS (input/output operations per second) to experience up to four times faster performance than with traditional Samsung SATA SSDs.

Featuring Samsung’s second generation MLC V-NAND 32-layer 128Gb die with UBX controller and magician software, the 512 GB version delivers sequential read/write speeds of up to 2,500 MB/s and 1,500 MB/s, and the 256 GB version of up to 2,200 MB/s and 900 MB/s, respectively.

The 950 PRO integrates AES 256-bit full disk encryption for data protection. Dynamic Thermal Guard can protect the device and data in a range of temperatures from 0 to 70 degrees Celsius, with the 950 PRO also capable of withstanding physical shock of up to 1500G/0.5 ms and vibrations up to 20G.

The 950 PRO is priced at $379 RRP for the 256 GB version and $659 RRP for the 512 GB version.