PC Industry Facing a Slump? IDC Predicts 4.2% Decline in Global Shipments for 2023

In a surprising development for the tech industry, research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) has predicted a decline in PC shipments in 2023. According to a recent report, the IDC expects global PC shipments to decline by 4.2% year-over-year in 2023.

This comes as a shock to many in the industry, as PC shipments have experienced steady growth in recent years, driven in part by the pandemic and the increasing need for remote work and learning. However, the report suggests that this trend is unlikely to continue in the coming years, with the market set to experience a downturn.

One of the key factors behind this decline is the ongoing shift towards mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. As these devices become increasingly powerful and versatile, many users are finding that they no longer require a traditional PC for their computing needs.

Dell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS, and NEC are the top OEMs in terms of global PC deliveries, according to IDC. Of these, shipments from Dell (+6.4%), HP (+1.2%), and ASUS (+24.3%) increased in 2022 compared to 2021. NEC (-22.7%) and Lenovo (-3.2%), on the other hand, reported a fall in shipments in 2022.

In addition, the report highlights several other factors that are likely to contribute to the decline in PC shipments. These include a slower pace of technological innovation, a shift towards cloud-based computing, and a growing demand for more portable and lightweight devices.

Despite these challenges, the report also suggests that there are still opportunities for growth in certain areas of the PC market. For example, the gaming and high-performance computing sectors are expected to continue experiencing strong growth in the coming years, driven by the increasing demand for high-quality graphics and processing power.

Overall, the report from IDC is a sobering reminder of the challenges facing the PC industry in the years ahead. However, it also highlights the need for continued innovation and adaptation, as manufacturers and developers seek to meet the changing needs of consumers and businesses alike.
While the decline in PC shipments may come as a shock to some, the industry is already taking steps to adapt to these changing trends. Whether through the development of new technologies or the focus on niche markets, the PC industry will likely continue to play an important role in the tech landscape for years to come.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

MIT study suggests that more sharing on social platforms may lead people to care less about accuracy

The U.S.-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently concluded the study it has been working on to highlight that social media users find it difficult to either share a news story or decide whether it is true or fake. According to the institute, even if the users decide to share the news or not, it will decrease their capability to judge the authenticity of the content.

The research was based on the responses collected from social media users when they were asked to assess whether certain news content was true or not. On the other hand, when asked if they would forward the news, 35 percent of the survey participants were not good at differentiating news based on its authenticity. David Rand, an MIT professor, and co-author of the study added that asking if people would want to forward content would make them believe the news in which they didn’t have faith in the first place and not trust the news they initially thought was true. Giving it a thought can affect their judgment.

The study suggested that sharing and judging accuracy cannot be done simultaneously without affecting the user’s judgment. Asking people for either of the two things can affect their perception. The whole research was based on two rounds of an online survey, in which over three thousand participants took part. All of them had a social media account, either on Facebook or Twitter. These survey respondents were presented with true and fake news regarding political conditions and the recent pandemic. They were asked separately whether they believed the news or if they would share it with others. Later on, the questions were merged and asked again.

David Rand expressed his views by saying that the patterns of users’ activity on social sites can also affect their ability to assess the news. Partisan leanings were also studied in the research, but the institute didn’t have a proper explanation of the outcomes they received from Partisan and left it for the future. However, the report did suggest that social media sites can be restructured to prevent the spread of fake news content.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Picture Perfect Google Photos Revenue Skyrockets in 2023

In an exciting development for Google, it has been reported that its photo-sharing app, Google Photos, has seen a significant increase in revenue in 2023. According to recent reports from app analytics firm App Figures, the app has raked in hefty revenues in the last year alone.

Google Photos first launched in 2015 as a standalone app, providing users with unlimited photo storage and a range of features, including automatic backup and organization. The app quickly gained popularity, with users praising its ease of use and extensive range of features.

According to the data, Google Photos began 2022 with $6M in net income in the App Store. The following numbers are net, or what Google keeps after deducting Apple's portion.

Net revenue from the App Store increased to $6.4M by August, and it reached over $7.5M by December, a rise of 29% in 2022. It is a significant increase for a feature that comes standard with every iPhone.

To add, net sales from the App Store in January 2023 increased by a staggering 17% from the already high amount in December to $9M.

The report also highlights that the app's user base has continued to grow, with over 2 billion active users now utilizing the platform to store and share their photos.

One of the key factors behind the app's success has been its integration with Google's wider suite of services, including Google Drive and Google One. This has allowed users to seamlessly access their photos and videos across all of their devices, providing a highly convenient and user-friendly experience.

In recent years, Google has also focused on expanding the app's capabilities, introducing a range of new features such as AI-powered search and automatic enhancements. This has helped to set Google Photos apart from its competitors, providing users with a highly sophisticated and intuitive platform for managing and sharing their photos.

The significant increase in revenue for Google Photos is a major milestone for the app and highlights its continued growth and popularity among users. It also underscores the increasing importance of photo-sharing apps in the digital landscape, as more and more users look for convenient and easy-to-use platforms for storing and sharing their photos and videos.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

59% of Young People Spend Over Two Hours a Day on Social Media

Between Instagram and TikTok, young people have no shortage of social media platforms that they can use to stay in touch with their friends and pass the time. In spite of the fact that this is the case, many studies have shown that this can have a detrimental impact that could make mental health among young people far worse than might have been the case otherwise.

With 59% of young people saying that they tend to surf social media for over two hours each and every day, these ill effects could quite quickly start to become more pronounced in the long run. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that almost 75% of young people between the ages of 13 and 24, or 74.3% to be precise, said they felt like they used social media a bit too much.

This comes from a report that was recently published by Amnesty International, and it indicates that young people are well aware of the perils of using social media more often than what would be considered healthy. 93% of survey respondents said that they had been exposed to some kind of disinformation whilst surfing the web, and 86% said that they were forced to block people because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up helping them see better content.

All in all, teenagers and young adults appear to hate the addictive nature of social media. They have spoken out about how they feel compelled to keep checking it in a rather obsessive way, and they have also outlined some changes that can be made to improve it with all things having been considered and taken into account.

Making better and more transparent privacy policies will be a good place to start. Also, changing the algorithm that often boosts inflammatory and enraging content will also be a decent step to take. Social media companies profit off of addictive design, and it does not seem likely that they’d be willing to make any changes.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Apple Search Ads Closes In On Google’s User Acquisition Rate on iOS

App marketing is a massive industry, and it has experienced some significant shakeups as of late. Much of this is due to Apple enacting an app tracking transparency policy that made it a great deal harder for developers to obtain access to user data than might have been the case otherwise.

What’s more, Apple might’ve intentionally hamstrung their competitors because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up benefiting their own ad business. This can clearly be seen with Apple Search Ads now being second only to Google itself in terms of user acquisition on iOS.

Back in January of 2022, about 36% of ad dollars were going to Apple’s search ads. This has now jumped by 11 points to reach 47% with all things having been considered and taken into account. Apple now controls a 22% share of the global market, but in spite of the fact that this is the case it still hasn’t been able to surpass Google when it comes to user acquisition.

One potential impact this could have is that it could disrupt the Google-Meta duopoly over ad spending and the overall app marketing industry. However, there are several newer and smaller services that are making a great deal of headway as well. These services include TikTok for Business which has been growing at a rapid rate, and it could pose the single biggest threat to the duopoly that has held unassailable control over the industry up until right now.

iOS users tend to be very important since they spend more on average than Android users. As the provider of this OS, Apple is well poised to become a major player, but it will face stiff competition from TikTok as well as a number of other companies.

Twitter and Snapchat could also see some growth, and it will be interesting to see if they become major players as well. This just goes to show that a duopoly or monopoly usually isn’t all that sustainable in the long run since it stifles innovation and makes companies fall behind.

H/T: Singular ROI Index

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

AhnLabs Tops the List of Best Android Antiviruses for Home Users

Using an antivirus just isn’t optional these days because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up protecting you from all sorts of malicious attacks. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that not all antiviruses are created equal. Some are better than others, and the folks over at AV-TEST recently conducted some assessments to provide an overview on which are the best of the best.

These antiviruses were tested based on the level of protection they provided, their performance as well as how easy they were to use. The tests were supposed to determine which antiviruses were most suitable for homer users with all things having been considered and taken into account.

It turns out that most antiviruses showed top notch performance in all metrics. AhnLab and Avast both received the maximum six points in all three areas for a grand total of eighteen. AVG, Avira and Bitdefender were also included at the top of the list, along with F-Secure, Kaspersky, McAfee and many more.

In spite of the fact that this is the case, some antiviruses ended up performing noticeably poorly. Case in point is Google’s Play Protect. The antivirus got the full 6 points in performance, but lost a point in the usability category. What’s more, the service scored a paltry 3.5 points in the protection tests which suggests that the antivirus might not do a lot to make your systems more secure than might have been the case otherwise.

Another conspicuously poor performer was Ikarus, with 15.5 out of 18. This is notably a whole point more than Google managed to get. Such a poor showing can be detrimental since it could make users lose trust in Google’s ability to keep them safe from various online threats.

All in all, users will likely see that virtually any antivirus can work quite well for them except for the ones provided by Google and Ikarus. This just goes to show how strong this industry truly is based on these tests.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Google Keep Brings Note Widgets to Android Devices

Google has announced the arrival of note widgets via Keep for Android devices, bringing convenience and productivity to its popular note-taking app.

Google Keep has released an exciting new widget for its users that run on Android devices. With it, you can pin a note or list of tasks directly to the home screen, so checking off tasks and toggling settings no longer requires opening the Keep app. The single note widget is designed to make multitasking on Android devices easier and more efficient than ever before.

The Keep widget lets users access their notes directly from their home screen with just one tap. It makes multitasking much more seamless and efficient. Whether a quick grocery list or an important reminder, the Keep widget lets users easily view and edit their notes. The Keep widget works great with Android features like quick settings and a notification center. This feature allows users to view their notes quickly. It's a great way to stay organized and keep track of tasks, no matter where you are.

The Keep widget also allows for quick access to notes from the lock screen. Users can open their recently created notes with just one swipe and quickly jot down thoughts or ideas. It makes it easy to record moments of inspiration swiftly. Now any colors or reminders set up for associated lists will also appear in this new widget. The collaborator indicator is more convenient at the bottom of each note, enabling easy access and constant awareness of who is currently collaborating on one project.

To help increase productivity amongst users everywhere, Google rolled out this new widget feature across all their Workspace, G Suite Basic, Business, and Personal Google accounts. Depending upon which type of account the user has attached to the app, wait times may be allotted from 5-15 days before the feature available appears.

Overall, Google Keep's new single note widget is a great addition and adds tremendous value to the application. It enables users to collaborate more efficiently with team members and helps them keep track of everyone involved in each project. Furthermore, it offers a better way for teams to manage their notes, tasks, and other items without going through tedious manual steps like emailing or messaging each other whenever they need an update.

With its new widgets, Google Keep makes taking notes easier than ever on Android devices - no matter what task you need help with, you can be sure that your notes will be just one tap away! In addition, the widget allows users to quickly find notes and tasks related to any ongoing project, making it even easier for teams to stay organized. Overall, Google Keep’s new widget is an amazing tool that makes managing notes, tasks, and other items a breeze for teams.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World