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Chrome closes in on Firefox

Chrome may soon have the upper hand in the browser wars, as the Mountain View browser closes in on Mozilla’s Firefox. According to Net Applications latest worldwide browser usage measurements, Chrome is only 4 per cent behind Firefox – which dropped in popularity by 2 per cent since January. Stiff competition from both Internet Explorer and Chrome have caused the popular browser’s numbers to flag this year – Firefox numbers slipped 0.4 per cent while Chrome inched forward 0.7 per cent. Firefox and Chrome now account for 22.1 per cent and 18.2 per cent respectively – compared to Internet Explorer which holds a clear lead with more than 50 per cent of the browser market under its belt. “Firefox once was the prime challenger to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, which for years languished in the doldrums of software development.

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Chrome closes in on Firefox

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Spotify gets appy

Popular music streaming service Spotify has taken the next step towards total world domination, announcing the addition of music-based apps to their platform. The free apps can be accessed by users through ‘App Finder’, and are designed to be fully integrated with Spotify to enhance user experience. “Once you take a look, you’ll see why we believe this is truly the beginning of something game-changing for digital music,” Spotify founder Daniel Ek said. “We think this will lead to integrations that keep Spotify beautiful and simple, but layer in great musical experiences designed to be social and fun. It’s what our users have been looking for.” The company has teamed up with 13 global partners for the launch of the app service – including Billboard, Fuse, The Guardian, and Rolling Stone to name a few. Users can do everything from checking show listings of bands on their playlists, to looking up lyrics of songs as they stream. “Our integration with Facebook in September has made more people than ever excited about sharing music again, adding more than 7 million new Spotify users in just over two months,” the company said in a press statement . As part of the new service, Spotify has also invited developers to get involved and build music-based apps for the service – currently, Spotify Apps features 16 partner apps, with more to come as the program develops. “With the Spotify Platform, we want to enable innovation on top of music and add many more layers of music enjoyment.

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Spotify gets appy

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Ofcom say mobile firms deliver better service

Ofcom, the communications regulator, has published the latest of their regular customer satisfaction surveys. Their findings show that the respondents interviewed were happier with the level of service provided by their mobile provider than their online or broadband supplier. This improved level of satisfaction could further boost the popularity of mobile shopping and mobile devices like tablets and e-readers. The Ofcom research was taken from interviews with 3,000 people during September, asking if they had had any contact with their provider in the previous three months, and if they were satisfied with the level of service they received. The survey showed that 7 out of 10 customers were happy with the service their mobile company provided, even after calling about their service or tariff. However, only about 6 out of 10 were happy with their landline and broadband. Landline customer service ratings had improved for Sky, Talk Talk and BT since 2009, according to Ofcom. Yet, on average, these levels of satisfaction were still below those for mobile services

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Ofcom say mobile firms deliver better service

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Apple to become world’s top PC vendor next year, thanks to the iPad 3

Apple’s share of the PC market is set to increase in 2012 to make it the largest PC vendor in the world, especially if the hotly anticipated iPad 3 is snapped up at speed when it finally hits shelves – according to a research firm’s newest figures. Canalys say Apple’s PC market share has jumped from 9 per cent to 15 per cent over the last year alone , partially due to demand for the iPad, which the analysts count as a personal computer. Tablet computers, particularly the iPad, have changed the PC market quite radically over the last year and have been responsible for Apple’s growing market share. Canalys estimate that global PC shipments for the entirety of 2011 will hit 415 million, an increase of 15 per cent year-on-year, driven mainly by tablet sales. Although Apple will be fighting HP for supremacy during the last quarter of 2011, Canalys say that the launch of the iPad 3 next year will see Apple taking a sizeable lead, particularly as the iPad 3 is expected to come with all sorts of bells and whistles – notably a super-fast A6 processor and a slick, high-spec retina screen display. But, it’s expected that the Fire and Nook tablets will make it a little more difficult for Cupertino to turn the as-yet unconverted tablet-toting into Apple acolytes. “Apple has seen its PC market share expand from 9 per cent to 15 per cent in just four quarters, though iPad shipments in its core market – the United States – are likely to come under pressure in Q4 due to the launch of the Fire and Nook at extremely competitive price points,” said Canalys Analyst Tim Coulling in a company statement. “HP and Apple will fight for top position in Q4, but Apple may have to wait for the release of iPad 3 before it passes HP.” Other vendors are finding it very difficult to compete with Apple, due to their inability to produce comparable products at reasonable prices.

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Apple to become world’s top PC vendor next year, thanks to the iPad 3

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Android and Apple duke it out for app sales

Jobs’ pledge to destroy Android may not be as simple as all that, as a new study reveals Android continues to flex its muscle when it comes to app downloads. Android captured a staggering 44 per cent of total mobile app downloads in the second quarter, handily surpassing Apple, which captured only 31 per cent in comparison. The second quarter also saw Apple shipments fall to 9 per cent – from 15 per cent in the first quarter – while Android has no such trouble, as shipment growth rose to 36 per cent, up from 20 per cent in the first quarter. ABI research associate Lim Shiyang said: “Being a free platform has expanded the Android device install base, which in turn has driven growth in the number of third-party multi-platform and mobile operator app stores. “These conditions alone explain why Android is the new leader in the mobile application market.” However, that’s not to say Apple doesn’t still pack a punch.

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Android and Apple duke it out for app sales