iPhone, Siri, CarPlay And Other Apple Products Expected To Grow In 2017

Tim Cook had indicated a lot of developments from Apple in his quarterly earnings call last week. He indicated that the company’s flagship smartphone, the iPhone still had much more technological evolution to go for.

Here is the range of products that the Apple CEO talked about and based on how they are expected to develop in 2017. 

iPhone 8 

Apple Is Getting Pushed Around in China by Local Phone Brands

Chinese smartphone brands Oppo and Huawei are tightening their grip on the world’s largest market, grabbing local share and squeezing out Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.

After including Vivo, Chinese vendors held the top three slots and accounted for 48 percent of shipments in the country during 2016, research firm IDC said. With a line-up of flexible- and curved-screen devices, they look set to dominate the market in 2017. A decline in Apple shipments in the fourth quarter highlighted how the iPhone 7 failed to make as big a splash in the face of escalating competition.

 

Apple Is Getting Pushed Around in China by Local Phone Brands

Chinese smartphone brands Oppo and Huawei are tightening their grip on the world’s largest market, grabbing local share and squeezing out Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.

After including Vivo, Chinese vendors held the top three slots and accounted for 48 percent of shipments in the country during 2016, research firm IDC said. With a line-up of flexible- and curved-screen devices, they look set to dominate the market in 2017. A decline in Apple shipments in the fourth quarter highlighted how the iPhone 7 failed to make as big a splash in the face of escalating competition.

 

London Might Be Getting a Tourist Tax

With London as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, city residents are used to coming up with innovative ways to adapt and cater to visitors—there's now an app to help you scavenger hunt in museums, and a tour bus specially catered for canine travelers. However, the latest proposed addition to the U.K. capital is little less playful and a tad more costly, as the city hopes to turn high visitor numbers into profit by adding a small tax to hotel bills, which could then be used to improve the environment and infrastructure.

While the city has no plan to curb visitor numbers, London mayor Sadiq Khan said in a press conference last week that visitors could eventually see five percent of the total room rate added to their hotel bills. According to a report by the Greater London Assembly (GLA), the tax, which is similar to ones that exist in Berlin and Paris, could generate £240 million (USD $300 million) for the city each year. In turn, that profit could benefit the city in all manner of ways—from making the city cleaner and better maintained to free entry for cultural attractions (notably, the majority of London’s major museums like the Tate, Victoria & Albert Museum, and the Natural History Museum already offer free entry for permanent exhibits). Speaking to the Independent, Khan said that the tax is intended to ensure that “tourists who come to London contribute to our city.” Adding, “If you look around the world, major cities have a levy for tourists of one or two per cent.” The decision comes as part of wider proposals laid out by the the London Finance Commission, which would help give London more control over its economy in the wake of the country’s decision to leave the European Union. The tax would be the first of its kind in London.

 

GivingTuesday Roundup: 14 T-Shirt Designers Bringing Spooky Heroics This Halloween

Finally, it is that time of the year again where you put on weird costumes and give away sweet treats to the neighborhood kids. Everybody loves it and have a great time at the parades. Everything that is associated with that festivity, such as, broomsticks, lanterns, cloaks, and coffins are greatly admired by the masses. These and other related products are specially produced for the occasion. Popular brands launch Halloween editions of their famous commodities. A significant amount of money goes into the creation or purchase of a Halloween costume. Therefore, I decided to bring you the works of fourteen talented T-shirt designers. If you love their work, you can contact them for an eerie, hair-raising, Halloween custom t-shirt design at your earliest.