:: LNR Journalism ::

Viacom plans television viewing apps by end of year

Bloomberg :: Viacom, the television programmer that owns cable networks Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central, plans to unveil television viewing apps for tablets before the end of the year. “We are rolling out apps in partnership with several of our distributors,” Chief Executive Officer Philippe Dauman told analysts on Viacom’s quarterly earnings call today.

A report by Edmund Lee, www.bloomberg.com

Low-priced tablets in emerging economies profitable for panel makers, say sources

Digitimes :: Panel makers are producing low-priced tablet panels for usage in the educational sector within emerging economies, according to industry sources. Sources said the makers believe tackling niche markets in emerging economies is more profitable at present as there is more growth compared with mature economies.

A report by Sammi Huang, Taipei | Alex Wolfgram, www.digitimes.com

Textbook strategy: Apple may meet tablet competition with a smaller iPad

New York Times :: The company is developing a new tablet with a 7.85-inch screen that is likely to sell for significantly less than the latest $499 iPad, with its 9.7-inch display, according to several people with knowledge of the project who declined to be named discussing confidential plans. The product is expected to be announced this year.

Natalie Kerris, an Apple spokeswoman, declined to comment.

Apple's textbook business strategy - A report by Nick Wingfield | Nick Bilton, www.nytimes.com

Tablet shipments expected to overtake notebooks by 2017

Silicon Republic :: NPD DisplaySearch’s ‘Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report’ predicts that shipments of tablet PCs will surpass shipments of notebooks in 2017, with overall mobile PC shipments expected to exceed 800m units in the same year.

Continue to read Elaine Burke, www.siliconrepublic.com

Tablet user base becoming older: Gender gap disappearing

Marketing Charts :: 4 in 10 tablet users (defined as owners or regular users of a tablet) are between the ages of 35 and 64, per June 2012 survey results [pdf] from the Online Publishers Association. And that user base will only solidify over time: further data from the report indicates that 46% of new buyers are in that age range, including 31% who are between the ages of 45 and 64. Overall, the report concludes that the tablet user base is trending older, as the proportion aged between 8 and 24 has fallen 8% over the past year, while the proportion aged 35 to 54 has grown 8%.

Summary of findings of additional studies - Continue to read www.marketingcharts.com

Microsoft is doing its own tablet. Do you like them Apples?

AllThingsD :: After signaling for months that it would attack the market only through its traditional hardware partners, Microsoft has decided to enter the tablet business more directly. The company isn’t talking about its effort, but Microsoft has scheduled an event Monday in Los Angeles, where it has promised a “major” announcement.

Continue to read Ina Fried, allthingsd.com

Majority of tablet users watch video and one in every four viewers pay to watch

comScore :: comScore released new insights on the U.S. tablet market from comScore TabLens™, its forthcoming monthly syndicated service providing insights into tablet ownership and usage.

The report found that tablets have quickly reached a critical mass in the U.S. with 1 in every 4 smartphone owners using tablets during the three-month average period ending April 2012. The study also found that tablet users were nearly three times more likely to watch video on their device compared to smartphone users, with 1 in every 10 tablet users viewing video content almost daily on their device.

“Tablets are one of the most rapidly adopted consumer technologies in history and are poised to fundamentally disrupt the way people engage with the digital world both on-the-go and perhaps most notably, in the home,” said Mark Donovan, comScore SVP of Mobile. “It’s not surprising to see that once consumers get their hands on their first tablet, they are using them for any number of media habits including TV viewing.”

Continue to read www.comscore.com

Why the tablet worsens the magazine industry’s headache

Economist Group :: Many on this blog have proclaimed the tablet to be the publishing industry’s savior; however, I’m skeptical as I have watched my own and others’ usage of content on the tablet. We now hear of Condé Nast slowing down on iPad development and, with circulation piddly everywhere, the writing is on the wall.

[Rishad Tobaccowala:] Tablets will hasten the demise of magazines and not save them.

The reasons - Continue to read Rishad Tobaccowala, www.economistgroup.com

Comcast to start testing commercial ratings for tablets

AdAge :: Comcast has reached an agreement with Nielsen to begin testing commercial ratings for viewing that takes place on iPads and mobile devices starting this summer, the company told Ad Age during The Cable Show convention taking place in Boston this week.

Continue to read Jeanine Poggi, adage.com

Huawei’s MediaPad tablet tested by Tribune Co. as news reader

Bloomberg :: Huawei Technologies Co., China’s largest maker of phone equipment, said its MediaPad tablet computers are being tested by Tribune Co. as news readers. The Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times are conducting trials of the tablets through the end of this month, and the devices may be rolled out nationwide once those tests are complete.

Reported by - Continue to read Edmond Lococo | Mark Milian, www.bloomberg.com