Apple keeps lead in slumping tablet market

APPLE remains the leader in a global tablet computer market that has been in an extended slump for the past two years, according to surveys released Thursday.

According to IDC, Apple and the iPad held 24.7% of the tablet market. — AFP

Posted on 4 February 2017 - 03:38am

Tablet sales in the fourth quarter fell 20% from a year earlier to 52.9 million units, according to the research firm IDC. A separate survey by Strategy Analytics said sales slumped nine percent to 63.5 million.

IDC analysts said overall 2016 sales fell 15.6% to 178.4 million units, in a second consecutive annual decline following a period of sizzling growth.

The analysts said many consumers are moving away from the "slate" tablets to more versatile devices with detachable keyboards, which may be categorized as either tablets or PCs.

"The sentiment around the tablet market continues to grow stale despite a lot of talk about vendors pivoting their product portfolios toward the detachable segment," IDC's Ryan Reith said.

"Typical tablets without a dedicated keyboard, which IDC refers to as slate tablets, are continuing to lose relevancy across all regions and, as a result, we see the decline happening globally."

Apple this week reported it sold 13.1 million of its iPads in the fourth quarter, a drop of nearly 19% from a year ago, but enough to lead the category.

According to IDC, Apple and the iPad held 24.7% of the market, while Strategy Analytics estimated its market share at 20.6%.

Samsung was the number-two vendor with more than eight million tablets sold.

IDC estimated Amazon sold 5.2 million of its Fire tablets to lift its market share to nearly 10%. But Strategy Analytics figures show Amazon selling 4.2 million units for a 6.7% share.

Amazon does not disclose sales figures for its devices.

Strategy Analytics said in its report that Amazon's low-cost devices, which sell for as little as US$49, have had some success "reaching a broad range of consumers looking for an entertainment tablet with key content tie-ins to the growing Amazon ecosystem."

The other manufacturers in the top five were China-based Lenovo and Huawei, according to the surveys.

Sales of Windows-powered tablets grew 19% from a year ago and accounted for 16% of the market, according to Strategy Analytics.

Strategy Analytics analyst Eric Smith said Microsoft, with its Surface family of devices, is the largest vendor in the Windows segment with about 15%, but that its partners – including Lenovo, Asus, Dell, and HP – sell the majority of Windows tablets. — AFP

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/2150062

4 Feb 2017: Best Timing to Bank-In Money’ for 2017

If you deposit your money to the bank on this day, you will attract lots of wealth and HUAT (meaning prosper) all year long. The auspicious day to bank in money according to this article is the 4th of February!  

May you HUAT HUAT and HUAT this year !

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Li Chun (立春) day fall on the 3rd of February this year. 

However, the correct timing to bank-in this year for more ‘HUAT’ is on the 4th of February! 

There is a Chinese culture/belief or even a myth (and has nothing to do with religion) that if you deposit your money to the bank on this day, you will attract lots of wealth and HUAT (meaning prosper) all year long.

To maximise your ‘Huat-ness’, you should also wear your Zodiac auspicious color outfit to bank in and deposit cash amounts which include ‘Lucky Numbers’.

For instance those who are born in the Dog year, it is best to Bank-In an amount consisting of number 3, 4 or 7 ($30, $40 or $70), wearing Red, Green or Beige outfit, and will prosper the most by depositing money at a money deposit machine between 5pm to 6.59pm.

(DO NOT PAY IN THE SAME AMOUNT, BACK INTO THE SAME BANK ACCOUNT AND USING THE SAME ATM YOU WITHDREW FROM, ON THE SAME DAY !!!)

And quoting from the previous posting:

"Should superstitions be followed? Should we say “sorry” in as many languages as possible when we pee in the wild? Must we take the red string at wakes and discard them afterwards? Are any of these timetables accurate? Which Feng Shui Grandmaster divined these? 

Who truly knows? Just follow and do lor."

Here is Best timing for depositing money into your bank and it varies for each Chinese Zodiac:

– Lucky hours: 9.00am to 10.59am, 1.00pm to 2.59pm, 5.00pm to 6.59pm

– Unlucky hours: 7pm to 8.59pm *Avoid Banking-In during this hour

Chinese character in white: Auspicious

Chinese character in yellow: Very auspicious

Lucky numbers and colours for 2017:

Rat          Lucky Number: 1, 6 Lucky Colour: Silver, Black, Blue
Ox           Lucky Number: 1, 7 Lucky Colour: Yellow, Red, Beige
Tiger       Lucky Number: 1, 3, 4 Lucky Colour: Gray, White, Orange
Rabbit     Lucky Number: 3, 7, 9 Lucky Colour: Blue, Purple, Green
Dragon   Lucky Number: 1, 5, 6 Lucky Colour: Yellow, Beige, Gold
Snake     Lucky Number: 2, 3, 6 Lucky Colour: Yellow, Red, Blue
Horse     Lucky Number:2, 3, 7 Lucky Colour: Yellow, Red, Brown
Goat       Lucky Number: 3, 4, 8 Lucky Colour: Green, Red, Purple 
Monkey  Lucky Number: 1, 7, 9 Lucky Colour: White, Gold, Beige
Rooster  Lucky Number: 5, 6, 8 Lucky Colour: Black, Gold, Brown
Dog        Lucky Number: 3, 4, 7 Lucky Colour: Red, Green, Beige
Pig          Lucky Number: 2, 5, 8 Lucky Colour: White, Grey, Brown


Extracts taken from:

• Chinese Zodiac Forecast for 2017 – Year of the Red Rooster originally posted here on 28 January 2017. 
• URGENT! 4 Feb 2016: Auspicious time to bank in money on Lunar New Year posted on 3 February 2016.

3 Feb 2017: Auspicious time to bank in money on Lunar New Year

Here’s the timetable for you to deposit money this Chinese New Year 2017

January 3, 2017

Huat ah.

Chinese New Year is upon us in less than a month’s time on Jan. 28 and 29.

One of the most curious practices of the Chinese during this period is the depositing of money at “auspicious” times on Feb. 3, 2017, according to one’s Chinese Zodiac.

Feb. 3 this year is known as Li Chun, a day on the Chinese calendar that was significant for farmers looking for a bountiful harvest in the past.

And at least one such timetable for depositing money is out:

Here’s the guideline to depositing money: Dress in the “Lucky Colours” of your Zodiac sign and deposit cash amounts that include “Lucky Numbers”.

For example, a person born in the year of the Dragon will prosper the most by dressing in red and depositing money at a deposit machine between 11pm to 11.59pm.

Not sure if you’ll scare anyone in the middle of the night dressed like that at an ATM. But rules are rules.

There are other rules that other people abide by, like how the money deposited must be your salary, bonus, or lottery winnings. Yet others swear that doing Internet Banking transfers are sufficient.

There are other conspiracy theorists who say that this is all a ploy by banks to increase deposits.

Should superstitions be followed? Should we say “sorry” in as many languages as possible when we pee in the wild? Must we take the red string at wakes and discard them afterwards? Are any of these timetables accurate? Which Feng Shui Grandmaster divined these?

Who truly knows? Just follow and do lor.

Source: http://mothership.sg/2017/01/heres-the-timetable-for-you-to-deposit-money-this-chinese-new-year-2017/

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Lucky numbers for 2017:
(The lucky numbers below are taken from Chinese Zodiac Forecast for 2017 – Year of the Red Rooster originally posted here on 28 January 2017.)

Rat          Lucky Number: 1, 6 
Ox           Lucky Number: 1, 7 
Tiger       Lucky Number: 1, 3, 4
Rabbit     Lucky Number: 3, 7, 9 
Dragon   Lucky Number: 1, 5, 6 
Snake     Lucky Number: 2, 3, 6 
Horse     Lucky Number:2, 3, 7
Goat       Lucky Number: 3, 4, 8 
Monkey  Lucky Number: 1, 7, 9 
Rooster  Lucky Number: 5, 6, 8
Dog        Lucky Number: 3, 4, 7 
Pig          Lucky Number: 2, 5, 8 

If you had missed the 3rd February for your banking-in, then there is still another chance for according to the article below, the day to make a deposit into your bank can be the 4th.
(Under this blog posting, although Li Chun (立春) day fall on the 3rd of February, the correct timing to bank-in this year for more ‘HUAT’ is on the 4th!  Note the different banking times and luck colours.)

See:  4 Feb 2017: Best Timing to Bank-In Money’ for 2017