The iPhone 5 is the top searched gadget of 2012 on Yahoo and Bing

Samsung reigns supreme in handsets, but Apple’s iPhone continues to pique consumer interest like no other gadget. The easiest way to figure out what consumers want is to comb through logs of major web search properties. Yahoo is out today with their annual top searches and the results are hardly surprising.

The iPhone 5 was the top searched for gadget in 2012: it’s managed to beat Kim Kardashian for the most searched for term overall in 2012. Matter of fact, three of Apple’s gadgets landed at the top of Yahoo’s year in review list. Looking beyond units sold, it’s clear where the public’s heart lies…

The annual Year in Review, Yahoo said, perhaps surprisingly reveals “elections” was this year’s most-searched term across Yahoo properties.

Coming in second, in terms of overall search volume: the iPhone 5.

Apple’s phone was the top obsession in technology, the company writes:

Apple fans queued up once again, this time for the iPhone 5 — “the thinnest, lightest, fastest iPhone” since, well, the last one. Preorders of the iPhone 5 sold out in an hour—or 20 times faster than the previous version.

Apple’s phone is also the smartphone of choice for Yahoo employees.

Such a high interest in the iPhone 5 was partly driven by the widely reported teething problems and the Maps fiasco, the search company asserts:

But the rollout of the iPhone 5 wasn’t entirely smooth. A week after its launch, Apple CEO Tim Cook apologized after users complained about the phone’s unreliable map app, which replaced the popular Google Maps from previous iterations.

The second most-searched gadget in 2012: the iPad.

Sitting at #3?

The iPad mini, which launched about a month ago.

Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S III handset and Amazon’s Kindle Fire, rounded out the top five list.

Mind you, Apple emerged victorious for the whole 2012 despite the iPhone 5 not going on sale until late September. Of course, the cottage industry of Apple rumor reporting may have had something to do with it.

The iPhone 5 was also Bing’s most searched news story and most searched consumer electronics item in 2012, followed by “iPad” and “Samsung Galaxy S III/Samsung Galaxy S3″, according to Microsoft.

2012 most searched tech on Bing. Microsoft must be proud.

I typed in “iPhone 5″ into the Yahoo search engine and got 320 million web results.

For comparison, searching for “Galaxy S III” returned “only” 64 million results.

You know what makes Yahoo’s finding particularly interesting?

That the iPhone 5 was more searched for than Kim Kardashian!

Apple’s gizmo also beat out Lindsay Lohan, Kate Upton, Kate Middleton and Whitney Houston in Yahoo’s overall search rankings for 2012, which is calculated based on high search volume and a high percentage spike compared with last year.

“Facebook IPO” was Yahoo’s tenth most searched for news topic of 2012.

Way more people were more interested in Apple’s less-than-three-month old phone than they were in any of these celebrities. As Buster Heine of Cult of Mac puts it nicely, “people want the iPhone 5 more than they want to see pics of Kim Kardashian”.

I think this tells it all,no?

source http://www.idownloadblog.com/2012/12/03/yahoo-top-searches-2012/

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The Gadget Flow: Discover and Purchase Top Quality Gadgets

The Gadget Flow will keep you constantly updated of the newest, freshest, most unique and beautifully designed gadgets of the highest quality. Warning:  upon entering this site you will probably end up buying something…

 Heaven for Gadget lovers…

 The Gadget Flow showcases the top gadgets that the web has to offer. On this platform you are sure to find the gadgets you need for your Office and your Home along with some cool gift ideas.

Some of the gadgets are expensive and some are really cheep, so it seems that the quality of the product is the thing that determines whether a gadget gets in or being cut. All the gadgets I have seen on The Gadget Flow offered something useful and had a strong emphasis on their design. Hey, after all, our dorky hobby has to look sexy…. doesn’t it?

“unique layout… both responsive and lightning fast”

We caught up with founder of The Gadget Flow, Evan Varsamis, this week. Here’s what he had to say:

“Gadgets are hot right now, as they have been since the beginning of the millennium, and for those who love them, it can be difficult to get enough. So many fascinating new gadgets are now coming out on a regular basis that gadget fans definitely need a way to keep up with it all.

“Those looking to learn all about the newest and most innovative in top gadgets are going to find themselves right at home at The Gadget Flow, a new website that aims to keep fans up to the minute on all the coolest new gadgets and become the #1 online destination for gadgets of all kinds.

Not only does the site offer plenty of gorgeous photos of each of the gadgets it covers, its unique layout is both responsive and lightning fast, something tech savvy fans are sure to appreciate.”

Clearly made by guys who love what they do

The Gadget Flow is part of Cloudie Network which is a creative network of websites, all designed beautifully. Like AllMyFaves, The Gadget Flow crew constantly add content to the website in order to be updated daily so you know that you will not see the same stuff over and over again. If you are interested on showcasing your own gadgets this site may be the best platform for you because it actually encourages unknown developers to step to the front of their platform. Got time to kill? Love gadgets? This is the site for you then. (Just make sure you ready your credit card though, resisting that purchase is hard, trust me!)

 

source http://www.allmyfaves.com/blog/technology/the-gadget-flow-discover-and-purchase-top-quality-gadgets/

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Dunkin' Donuts Facebook Contest Offers Chance to Be on Times Square Billboard

What's This?

Todd Wasserman 17 hours ago

Dunkin' Donuts is offering the chance to have your photo or video displayed on the most high-profile placement on New Year's Eve: A billboard in New York's Times Square.
The chain is kicking off a contest Wednesday morning asking fans to send their photo or video in wishing friends and relatives a happy new year. The winning pics and videos will be featured on a Dunkin' billboard during the New Year's Eve celebration.
Winners will be chosen in the video and photo categories. One of each will get the Times Square placement plus two round-trip travel certificates on JetBlue. Ten first-prize winners from each category will also get $50 Dunkin' Donuts cards.
Dunkin' has 8 million Facebook fans vs. 32 million for archrival Starbucks. However, Dunkin's locations are mostly east of the Mississippi while Starbucks has a more consistent national footprint. Notably, this New Year's Eve effort has no location-based checkin component. Just two years ago brands including American Eagle, Bravo and Facebook were running promotions asking consumers to check in at Times Square before the ball drop.
Image courtesy of Flickr, PSD

source http://mashable.com/2012/12/05/dunkin-donuts-facebook-contest 

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The Top 5 Gadget Innovations of 2012 (best gadget)

Lance Ulanoff Nov 28, 2012

Our lives are full of gadgets, but their proliferation hasn't led to a well-spring of amazing and imaginative new devices. Instead, we have a lot of similar tablets, devices, phones, you name it. There are, however, exceptions; products that renew my faith in R&D. They're imaginative leaps of faith that often look and feel different than the competition. They also work different, attacking everyday problems in a new way or putting us one-step closer to technology that was once the sole preserve of a rarefied few.
SEE ALSO: Introducing Mashable's 2012 Innovation Index For our Innovation Index, I selected the top five gadgets of the past year. These devices inspired me with their technology, design, utility and risk taking. Innovation does not always lead to success, but I celebrate each and everyone of one of them for trying.

Google Glass

If there’s one gadget that looks like the future, it’s Google Glass. Sure, we’re still waiting for the final, productized version of this wearable computer, but it’s far more than a proof of concept. Earlier this year, the world witnessed as a group of daredevils took Google Glass and us along with it, from a plane, though a thrilling, live-streamed skydive, to the top of a building and right into Google Founder’ Sergey Brin’s Google i/o keynote. That stunt instantly turned Google Glass into the first must-have wearable computer of the 21st century.

AR.Drone 2.0

Surveillance is a fact of life. Cameras are everywhere and drones patrol the skies of hot zones around the globe. If you wonder what it’s like to be on the other side of the camera, Parrot’s AR.Drone puts average people in the driver's-seat and all through the friendly interface of your standard-issue iPad. As for the drone itself, it can fly hundreds of feet up in the sky with pinpoint-precision control from the iPad-sporting pilot on the ground below. You see what it sees on your iPad and you can choose to record onboard the drone or direct to you tablet. It’s addictive, powerful and fun.

Surface

Microsoft not only innovated this year, it surprised us. The Windows RT- running Surface Tablet is a stunner from top to bottom and we had no idea Microsoft was building it. Inside it features Microsoft’s new ARM-ready OS (which, at its heart, is a lot like its desktop-friendly Windows 8) and is designed and built entirely by Microsoft. They agonized over ever feature and it shows. Surface isn’t perfect, but it’s unique in the marketplace and absolutely screams “I am different.” For a company with as stodgy as rep as Microsoft, no declaration could be more welcome.

Samsung Galaxy Note II

There are big phones, and then there are big phones. At 5.55-inches, the Samsung Galaxy Note II falls on the latter side of the spectrum. For some that’s a deal breaker, but they might be missing out on something. In addition to the large, brilliant display, this phone includes a stylus that is literally married to the device. Not only is it aware of when the pen in touching the screen, it knows when the pen is hovering just above it, as well. The tech is called Airview, and we’ve never seen anything like it in a device of this size. Not only is the screen aware of the pen, but in-air gestures make things happen on screen. This is smart technology that put Samsung Galaxy Note II a level above an army of look-alike smartphones.

Lytro

Lytro, the camera that resembles a super-sized version of one of those single-image viewer souvenirs you used to get from the zoo, is one odd camera with a very special gift. Its oddball design allows you to take pictures capable of telling more than one tale after the fact. In other words, it no longer matters where you focus, crystal-clear information is available for all parts of the image and you and everyone else looking at the image (on a web page) can access that detail at will. I can’t say if this special ability will ultimately make Lytro a success, but there’s no doubt I am impressed.

source : http://mashable.com/2012/11/28/gadget-innovations-2012/

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Top 10 gadget gifts

When it comes to the holidays, gadgets perennially top people's wish lists — and retailers are happy to oblige.

Shoppers will spend an average of $252 on consumer electronics this year, according to a Consumer Electronics Association forecast, with 76 percent of gift-giving adults planning to give a gadget as a present. Sorting out the hot items from the ones destined to end up in the clearance bin — or at a garage sale — isn't easy, though.

MORE From CNBC

• » Hot Holiday Toys 2012
• » 10 Most Anticipated Video Games of 2013
• » Top 10 Disruptors Empowering Consumers

If you're looking for a perfect tech gift for a friend or loved one, read ahead for suggestions that can't miss.




 
(Photo: Amazon)Kindle Paperwhite

Suggested Price: $119 to $139. Amazon has a well-established foothold in the e-reader space, but its latest effort is miles beyond anything it has done before.
It offers an incredibly sharp screen, a built-in light for nighttime reading, and for Amazon Prime members, a huge collection of free “loaner” books.
The battery life is equally impressive, with the company claiming a life of eight weeks, assuming a half hour of use per day.
(See more: 12 things not to buy during the holidays )


 
(Photo: Lenovo)Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga

Suggested Price: $999 to $1,299. Ultrabooks are going to be hot this year, but with Windows 8, forward-looking gadget hounds are focusing on hybrid models.
Lenovo's Yoga can morph itself into four different forms: a standard laptop clamshell, a tablet, a tent-style (standing on its ends) and an easel (showing the screen to onlookers across the table).
It's flexible and simple to use, and it works just as well as a touchscreen device as it does as a laptop. While pricier than other Ultrabooks, it's one that will turn heads — and future-proof you for a few years.


 
(Photo: Samsung)Samsung E8000 Plasma TV

Suggested Price: Starting at $1530 for the 51 inch model on Yahoo! Shopping.

Plasma TVs might seem passé in an era of LED and LCD screens, but they still are the best displays around.

Samsung's flagship plasma line features not only amazing picture quality, but also an integrated voice-and-motion-activated control system. (You can turn it on by simply saying "Hi TV. Power On.")

Combine that with Samsung's industry-leading "Smart TV" applications, which extend much further than the usual Skype and Netflix choices, and it's an easy decision.

 
(Photo: Apple)iPhone 5

Suggested Price: $199 to $399.

Apple's smartphone is always a hot gift during the holidays, but this year's model could be especially hard-to-find.

With a faster processor, improved camera and a longer screen, it offers a lot of the features people were hoping to see with last year's iPhone 4S.

The problems with Apple Maps are well documented — and valid — but overall, this is a solid smartphone that shows off Apple's ingenuity.


 
(Photo: Nintendo)Wii U

Suggested Price: $300 to $350.

Nintendo's next generation videogame system hasn't yet garnered quite as much buzz as the Wii did in 2006 (perhaps because of the confusing similarities of the systems’ names), but it's still a big leap forward for the company.

Adding a tablet controller to the Wii's motion controls opens up new areas of gameplay, especially for large groups. And the inclusion of high-definition graphics for the first time lets the company's games shine.


 
(Photo: Mohu)Mohu Leaf Plus HDTV Antenna

Suggested Price: $74.

Mohu's original Leaf HDTV antenna was top of class for its unobtrusive design and quality. This upgrade features an amplifier that increases your signal range and improves the quality of over-the-air HDTV signals.

It is, once again, the best alternative for people who are thinking about cutting the cord in an effort to keep their bills at a manageable price.



 
(Photo: ioSafe)ioSafe Solo G3

Suggested Price: Starting at $290 on Yahoo! Shopping.

A data storage backup may not be the sexiest gift you give this year, but it could wind up being the most useful.

The G3 not only protects your Mac or PC's data against system crashes, it can withstand temperatures of more than 1,500 degrees Farenheit for 30 minutes and you can leave it underwater — as much as 10 feet — for three days and still recover your data.

And if there's a problem, ioSafe will pay up to $2,500 to recover the documents, photos and other backed-up material.



 
(Photo: Lytro)Lytro Camera

Suggested Price: $399 to $499.

There is nothing more frustrating than taking a picture at the perfect moment — only to find out you were out of focus. Lytro cameras solve that problem with a new technology called lightfield capture, letting you shoot first, then focus afterward.

It might sound complicated, but it couldn't be easier: Take your pictures and then import them to your PC, where a click of the mouse lets you choose your focal point.


 
(Photo: Snaptracs)Tagg Pet Tracker

Suggested Price: Starting at $100 on Yahoo! Shopping.

When a dog runs away, it's stressful for the owners. The Tagg pet tracker is a small system that fits onto your pet's collar and acts as a GPS beacon of sorts when they escape.

All you have to do is press "locate" on your computer or mobile device and the system will show you where Fido is exploring, allowing you to go and fetch him. The system can also be set up to send you — and up to four other people — an alert when your pet escapes.


 
(Photo: Roku)Roku HD

Suggested Price: $60

There are plenty of ways to stream things like Netflix and Hulu to your television set these days, but the Roku HD box is both affordable and offers a much wider variety of streaming options, letting you stream hundreds of video and audio channels to your TV.

You'll need a good WiFi connection in your house — and you won't be able to watch YouTube on the system — but it's still one of the best streaming devices on the market.

source http://shopping.yahoo.com/news/top-10-gadget-gifts.html?page=all

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