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Martin Kovacs

3D Printing Market Poised For Growth And Change

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The 3D printing vendor landscape is on course for a significant shift in the coming years with the market poised for growth, according to Canalys.Canalys forecasts that value for the worldwide market for 3D printers, and associated materials and services, will reach US$4.9 billion by the end of the year.

The total market is expected to grow by a compound annual growth rate of 43.5 per cent from 2015 through to 2020, reaching a value of US$22.4 billion, while shipments are forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 67.2 per cent, reaching 2.4 million units by 2020.

In 2015, vendors shipped 182,000 3D printers worldwide, up 37 per cent year-on-year, with strong performances in both the enterprise and consumer sectors. Canalys found that industrial expenditure on 3D printers fell, while educational establishments ordered thousands of systems for their students

Taiwanese vendor XYZprinting held onto the top spot as the world’s largest 3D printer vendor, making up 38 per cent of total shipments.

Canalys analyst Joe Kempton observed that it was “a tough year for many large vendors” last year, with many struggling to maintain growth rates, resultantly having “been forced to take stringent cost-cutting measures”.

“Some, such as 3D Systems, have even been forced to leave an entire section of the industry,” Kempton commented. “At the low end of the market, this has cleared the way for many new vendors to fill the gap, launching 3D printers at ever lower prices.

“At the high end, companies have been left vulnerable to attack from newer enterprise-focused vendors, such as HP, which are just starting to enter the market.

“As a result, Canalys expects to see a dramatic shift in the 3D printing vendor landscape over the course of the next few years, and we will likely see substantial consolidation occurring in the market as some vendors are forced to leave.”

Slowing Smartphone Sales: 7% Growth This Year

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Global smartphone sales will continue to slow this year, with the market no longer growing in double digits, according to Gartner.Gartner expects worldwide smartphone sales to grow 7 per cent this year, reaching 1.5 billion units, down from 14.4 per cent growth in 2015.

Looking ahead, Gartner states that smartphone sales are on pace to total 1.9 billion units in 2020.

“The smartphone market will no longer grow at the levels it has reached over the last seven years,” Gartner research director Roberta Cozza commented. “Smartphone sales recorded their highest growth in 2010, reaching 73 per cent.”

Gartner notes that the smartphone market has reached 90 per cent penetration in the mature markets of North America, Western Europe, Japan and mature Asia Pacific, slowing future growth, with users in these regions not replacing or upgrading their smartphones as often.

“In the mature markets, premium phone users are extending life cycles to 2.5 years, which is not going to change drastically over the next five years,” Cozza commented.

Communications service providers have moved away from subsidies providing a “free” smartphone every two years, leading to more varied upgrade cycles, on the other hand introducing financing programs, with vendors such as Apple offering upgrade programs providing users with new hardware after only 12 months.

“These programs are not for everyone, as most users are happy to hold onto their phone for two years or longer than before,” Cozza observed. “They do so especially as the technology updates have become incremental rather than exponential.”

Meanwhile, with the mature markets increasingly saturated, Gartner notes that the focus for many vendors is on India and China, with India the main focus and Gartner forecasting that sales in India will this year grow 29.5 per cent year-on-year.

“The worldwide smartphone market remains complex and competitive for all mobile phone vendors, and we are not expecting the vendor landscape to get smaller,” Annette Zimmermann, Gartner research director, commented.

“In such a fluid vendor landscape, some will exit the market while newcomers, including mobile manufacturers or internet service providers from China and India, could make their debut.”

SanDisk 1TB SDXC Card Caters For 4K, 8K And VR

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Western Digital has taken the wraps off its SanDisk 1TB SDXC card prototype at Photokina in Cologne.The large 1 TB capacity is designed to deliver more options for videographers and photographers amid the growth of 4K, 8K and virtual reality content.

Since its introduction of the 512GB SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I memory card at Photokina 2014, Western Digital states that it “has proven it can nearly double the capacity in the same SD card form factor using proprietary technology”.

“Sixteen years ago we introduced the first SanDisk 64MB SD card and today we are enabling capacities of 1 TB,” Dinesh Bahal, Western Digital vice president, product management, Content Solutions Business Unit, commented.

“Over the years our goal has remained the same: continue to innovate and set the pace for the imaging industry.

“The SanDisk 1TB SD card prototype represents another significant achievement as growth of high-resolution content and capacity-intensive applications, such as virtual reality, video surveillance and 360 video, are progressing at astounding rates.”

Western Digital has yet to reveal a timeline as to availability of the card.

Huawei Mate 8 Set To Land In Oz Next Week

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Huawei’s Mate 8 smartphone is set to launch in the Australian market, with Huawei today advising it will be available from next week.The Mate 8 sports a 6″ full-HD display, is equipped with a 16 MP main

camera with optical image stabilisation and an 8 MP front camera, comes

with a fingerprint sensor, and is decked out with a 4,000 mAh battery.

Huawei states the battery will deliver regular phone users up to 2.26 days’ power consumption, while heavy users will have up to 1.57 days of non-stop battery life.

The Mate 8 runs Android Marshmallow 6.0 and is powered by a Kirin 950 octa-core (4 x 2.3 GHz A72 and 4 x 1.8 GHz A53) processor.

“With superior advancements in technology and a focus on seamless design, the Mate 8 is one of the most powerful smartphones ever made,” Marc Di Giacomo, Huawei Australia’s head of consumer marketing, commented.

“The Mate 8 reinforces Huawei’s ongoing commitment to deliver the best in advanced technology, seamlessly integrating into modern day life and enabling customers to stay connected on the go.”

Priced at $899, the space grey Mate 8, with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB ROM, will be available from May 24 at Huawei Experience Zones along with select JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman and Allphones stores across Australia.

Until July 5, Vodafone customers will receive two months of free access fees on selected Vodafone 24-month plans, starting from $15 per month on Vodafone’s $40 Red plan.

Huawei states that customers can pre-order the Mate 8 from all 10 Huawei Experience Zones within select Westfield centres across the country, with pre-order customers to also have the option to receive a free Huawei Band valued at $129 or a Huawei Talkband B2, valued between $149 to $169, depending on choice of colour.

Detachables To Boost Tablet Market

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Detachable tablets are set to drive growth in the tablet market beyond 2016, with Windows growing its market share, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC).The IDC has forecast that detachable tablets are set to grow from 8 per cent of the tablet market in 2015 to 30 per cent in 2020, growing from 16.6 million shipments last year to 63.8 million in 2020.

Worldwide tablet shipments are forecast to drop to 195 million units this year, declining 5.9 per cent year-on-year, while beyond 2016, the IDC expects the overall market to return to positive single-digit growth, driven by the growing detachable demand.

“Beyond the growing demand for detachable devices, we’re also witnessing an increase in competition within this segment that will help drive design, innovation and a decline in average prices,” Jean Philippe Bouchard, IDC research director, tablets, commented.

“At the latest Mobile World Congress, we saw new entrants, like Alcatel and Huawei, coming from the mobile space and expanding their portfolio to address the demand for detachables.

“Everyone in the industry recognises that traditional personal computers like desktops and notebooks will potentially be replaced by detachables in the coming years, and this is why we will see a lot of new products being introduced this year.”

The IDC states that the move to detachables is set to bring two other changes to the tablet industry, with devices with larger screen sizes (9″ and above) to experience growth throughout the forecast, while those under 9″ will decline, while Microsoft-based devices will begin taking share from the other platforms, most notably Android.

“This momentous shift in form factor will bring along the first significant impact of Windows-based devices that the tablet market has seen,” Ryan Reith, IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Device Trackers program director, commented.

“Windows 10 seems to be making headway in both the PC and tablet markets, mainly driven by devices with larger screen sizes. Despite the free licensing on products under 9″, the growth for Windows-based tablets will be primarily on devices with displays between 9 and 13”.

“Until we see a day where touch is introduced for Mac OS X and inroads are paved to bring Android and Chrome more closely aligned, we believe Windows remains the logical choice for detachable products.”

The IDC has forecast Windows will command a 53.3 per cent worldwide detachable market share this year, rising to 74.6 per cent in 2020, Android to capture an 18.2 per cent market share this year, declining to 18.1 per cent in 2020, and iOS to claim a 28.5 per cent share this year, declining to 7.3 per cent in 2020.

BenQ SW2700PT Monitor Is Designed For Photographers

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BenQ has brought its SW2700PT colour management monitor to the Australian market, built with professional photographers in mind.The 27″ SW2700PT sports a QHD (2560 x 1440) display, 99 per cent Adobe RGB colour space, IPS technology, hardware calibration, a 14-bit 3D look-up table, Delta E<2, Palette Master calibration software, an ambient light-blocking shading hood, an OSD controller and black-and-white mode.

“The SW2700PT is designed to effortlessly and accurately showcase the creative vision of professional photographers, enhancing and empowering the visual stories they communicate,” BenQ states of the monitor.

“With unprecedented colour accuracy, attention to precise detail and user-friendliness, the SW2700PT creates colours so true that it brings out the unreproducible essence of every photo, whether taken by a seasoned pro or amateur hobbyist.”

BenQ states that Adobe RGB colour space enables the SW2700PT to display a larger range in shades of blue and green, reproducing more precise colour representations for nature photography, with the 14-bit 3D look-up table improving RGB colour blending accuracy, while Delta E<2 in both Adobe RGB and sRGB colour spaces offers “the truest view of the original image”.

Users can adjust the SW2700PT’s 14-bit 3D look-up table directly without altering graphics card output data, while BenQ’s proprietary Palette Master calibration software can be used with a calibrator to optimise the colour performance of the display, with the monitor compatible with the X-Rite and Datacolor colour calibration utilities.

The SW2700PT’s detachable shading hood blocks ambient light, while the OSD controller contains three preset buttons, allowing customisation of display settings for various applications, such as Adobe RGB, sRGB and black-and-white mode.

The SW2700PT is priced at $999 RRP. Further information can be found here.

D-Link Adds To Oz Vigilance Camera Line-Up

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D-Link ANZ has added to its professional-grade Vigilance IP surveillance series, launching the Vigilance Full HD Outdoor Mini Dome Network Camera (DCS-4802E).The DCS-4802E is equipped with full-HD 1920×1080 resolution, integrated infrared illumination for seeing up to 20 metres in complete darkness, sporting a rugged IP66 weatherproof housing, designed to ensure “continuous performance even in extreme climates”.

It is additionally decked out with a 3-axis design, allowing for precise positioning of the lens, 3D noise filtering for enhanced low-light performance and PoE (Power over Ethernet), providing for single cable installation.

“Consumers may well be observing a very deliberate pattern in the Vigilance IP camera product line since its successful launch last year,” D-Link ANZ managing director Graeme Reardon commented.

“Put simply, D-Link recognises that an increasing number of businesses are seeking value-orientated, professional surveillance cameras that offer a wide range of features, yet are easy to use – hence the DCS-4802E now expands further the Vigilance series line-up.

“As a result of the success of these products and the continued demand for them, we will continue to invest in this range with cameras such as the DCS-4802E.”

DCS-4802E features:

– 2 MP full-HD 1080p resolution (1920×1080)
– Wide dynamic range (WDR) video enhancement
– Infrared LED night vision with viewing up to 20 metres in complete darkness
– 8 mm lens (108-degree diagonal field of view)
– 360-degree pan, 75-degree tilt and 360-degree rotation capability
– Video motion detection
– IP66 weatherproof rating
– Built-in 802.3af-compliant PoE module for easy installation in a variety of locations without the need for supplemental power cabling
– ONVIF compliance for third party VMS and NVR support

Available now, the DCS-4802E is priced at $349.95. Further information can be found here.

Marching Towards 5G: 150 M Subscriptions By 2021

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By 2021, 5G mobile subscriptions are forecast reach 150 million, opening up opportunities for new industries, according to the latest edition of Ericsson’s Mobility Report.South Korea, Japan, China and the US are predicted to experience the fastest 5G subscription uptake, with 5G to connect new types of devices, enabling new use cases related to the Internet of Things.

Meanwhile, increased mobile video consumption is fuelling a rise in traffic volumes around the world. In the Asia Pacific, Ericsson has forecast monthly data traffic per smartphone will rise from 1 GB this year to 6.9 GB in 2021, while in North America it will rise from 3 GB to 22 GB.

In many networks today, YouTube accounts for up to 70 per cent of all video traffic, while Netflix’s share of video traffic can reach as high as 20 per cent in markets where it is available. In 2021, video is forecast to account for 70 per cent of total mobile traffic.

“With 20 new mobile broadband subscriptions activated every second, global increase in mobile subscriptions is another clear driver for data traffic growth,” Ericsson states.

“As of now, there are the same amount of mobile subscriptions as there are people on the planet – in 2016, we will reach the four billion mark for smartphone subscriptions alone.”

Among the report’s other findings, China will overtake the US as the world’s largest LTE market by the end of the year, while Africa is becoming increasingly connected, with its number of mobile subscriptions set to reach 1 billion by the end of the year, double what it was five years ago.

From smart transport to smart grids, the report additionally looks at the role ICT can play in enabling savings in energy consumption and reducing greenhouse gas emissions across all other industrial sectors, finding total emissions reduction could be up to 10 gigatonnes of CO2e, representing about 15 per cent of global emissions, in 2030.

Will The iPhone SE Sport An iPhone 5s Design?

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Ahead of Apple’s much-anticipated event next week, speculation is building about the expected 4″ iPhone SE, with 9to5Mac reporting that it will sport a very similar design to the iPhone 5s.9to5Mac reports that, while there has been speculation the iPhone SE may sport a design closer to the iPhone 6, checks with additional sources have confirmed that it will look “almost exactly the same” as the iPhone 5s.

Apple this month locked in a date for the event, which will take place on March 21. A web page set up for the event, via which Apple will be live streaming, sports the tag line “Let us loop you in”.

Apple, however, is yet to confirm what is planned for the event, while speculation has been steadily building about the iPhone SE.

In terms of hardware, 9to5Mac has reported that the iPhone SE will be decked out with an A9 processor, an M9 chip, NFC for Apple Pay, and upgrades to the cellular and Wi-Fi hardware, with it said to include a 12 MP camera and 4K video recording support, with previous reports indicating it will come in 16 GB and 64 GB configurations.

As for what else Apple has planned for the event, speculation is that a new iPad is also set to be unveiled.

HTC 10 Video Teaser Focuses On Audio

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HTC has released a video teaser ahead of the expected launch of its HTC 10 smartphone, in which it states it is bringing “the best BoomSound yet”.The video has been released via HTC’s Twitter account, carrying the “#powerof10” hashtag.

HTC states via the tweet:

“Not all music is created equal. Hi-res audio so every note is crystal clear. You’ll hear it. 4/12 #powerof10”

HTC had previously confirmed an April 12 event, tweeting:

“See what we’re obsessed about on April 12 on http://HTC.com. #powerof10.”

An accompanying image sports the tagline: “we admit it. we’re obsessed … but in a good way.”

The latest video focuses exclusively on audio, linking back to HTC’s original “obsessed” tagline, opening with the line:

“We admit it. We’re obsessed. Obsessed with sound.”

It later states:

“We want you to experience flawless high-fidelity on your phone. That’s why we’re bringing you the best BoomSound yet.”

As for specific details, the video gives little away ahead of the official event next week.