This weekend saw Apple’s latest smartphone going on sale. The critical reception to the iPhone SE has been strong but sales over the first weekend have been underwhelming according to mobile engagement firm Localytics. The iPhone SE’s impact has been much lower than previous iPhone handsets.
It should be noted that Localytic’s numbers do not necessarily tell the whole story. The dataset is derived from its mobile engagement platform which requires applications, games and services that use the Localytics platform to be installed. Given the nature of the iPhone SE as a device targeting a younger and more price-sensitive market, there may not have been a rush to install as many applications as possible from new owners.
Yet Apple pitched this as an iPhone that could do the same as the current flagships, with the same specifications, and the same potential. Apps are a core part of the iOS experience. At the very least Localytics’ methodology allows a direct comparison of the SE’s first weekend to that of the iPhone 5S, 6, 6 Plus, 6S, and 6S Plus. All of those models saw opening weekend performances that were better than the iPhone SE’s weekend.
The SE’s 0.1 percent market share of iOS devices compares to the launch weekends of the iPhone 6S family (1.3 percent combined) and the iPhone 6 family (2.3 percent). It’s also nine times lower than the opening weekend of the iPhone 5S.
In Apple’s defence, the iPhone SE is not a flagship handset and does not cram in new features, or sync up with the one- or two-year network contracts that many early adopters will have signed each September alongside the new iPhone. There’s no pressure on the geekerati to be seen with this handset. In fact if they are seen with this handset most casual observers would think they are going all San Francisco Hipster and continuing to use ‘something old’.
This weekend saw Apple’s latest smartphone going on sale. The critical reception to the iPhone SE has been strong but sales over the first weekend have been underwhelming according to mobile engagement firm Localytics. The iPhone SE’s impact has been much lower than previous iPhone handsets.
It should be noted that Localytic’s numbers do not necessarily tell the whole story. The dataset is derived from its mobile engagement platform which requires applications, games and services that use the Localytics platform to be installed. Given the nature of the iPhone SE as a device targeting a younger and more price-sensitive market, there may not have been a rush to install as many applications as possible from new owners.
Yet Apple pitched this as an iPhone that could do the same as the current flagships, with the same specifications, and the same potential. Apps are a core part of the iOS experience. At the very least Localytics’ methodology allows a direct comparison of the SE’s first weekend to that of the iPhone 5S, 6, 6 Plus, 6S, and 6S Plus. All of those models saw opening weekend performances that were better than the iPhone SE’s weekend.
The SE’s 0.1 percent market share of iOS devices compares to the launch weekends of the iPhone 6S family (1.3 percent combined) and the iPhone 6 family (2.3 percent). It’s also nine times lower than the opening weekend of the iPhone 5S.
iPhone SE Opening Weekend Adoption (image: Localytics)
In Apple’s defence, the iPhone SE is not a flagship handset and does not cram in new features, or sync up with the one- or two-year network contracts that many early adopters will have signed each September alongside the new iPhone. There’s no pressure on the geekerati to be seen with this handset. In fact if they are seen with this handset most casual observers would think they are going all San Francisco Hipster and continuing to use ‘something old’.
The iPhone SE is designed as an upgrade product for those looking for a smaller screened iPhone. More than any other iPhone released by Cupertino, the SE is about the long tail of sales, not the out-of-the-gate performance. And I’m sure there will be a number of ‘dark’ users who will not have appeared in this survey.
The momentum around the iPhone SE is not of an all-conquering vision from Apple, it’s about making sure everyone has a handset they want at a price point they can afford. As I wrote at the weekend it’s as if Apple has decided to promote itself as ‘The American Samsung‘ and be all things to all people. The relatively slow uptake of the iPhone SE feeds into this narrative. Apple has ensured that the iPhone SE has avoided the critical drubbing the iPhone 5C received, but in the process it has traded away Apple’s unique visionary status and the company is one step closer to being seen as little more than ‘another hardware manufacturer.’
There have been several instances of supercars catching fire; the list of such cars comprises names like Porsche 911 GT3, Ferrari 458 Italia, and of course Lamborghini Gallardo. There's little doubt that these cars cost a bomb, and one would think they are better equipped in terms of safety provisions to prevent fires.
While both Ferrari and Porsche had issued recalls for their respective cars, Lamborghini issued a recall in 2012 for about 1,500 units of the Gallardo Coupe and Spyder variants manufactured between 2004-2006. According to the company, in certain driving conditions, the high pressure steering pipes near the steering assistance hydraulic system pump might leak. Leaking fluid, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Unfortunately, the victim of today's incident was an Arancio Borealis (Italian for Orange) Lamborghini Gallardo that suddenly caught fire in South Delhi's Badarpur area. If you look at the pictures closely, you can see that the fire started at the rear of the car. It is said that the car was returning from the service centre when it caught fire.
So, who is to blame? The service centre? Or the guy behind the wheel? According to Bonito Chhabria, Director, DC Design, "The car is a mechanical thing and there are 4000 different parts that keep the car moving, if one of them is not working to its optimum level, then such things are bound to happen. It's unfortunate but you really cannot predict when and how things can go wrong."
Having been around supercars, Bonito knows that this could happen if the car is not properly maintained. "A manufacturer cannot really ready itself for such a thing. From the looks of it, an oil leak led to the unfortunate incident. At such times we need to look at the positive side of things and see that no one was hurt."
Accompanied by a price tag of Rs. 2.7 crore in India, it was the most successful car for Lamborghini; the carmaker sold 14,000 units of the car in the span of a decade. The 5.5-litre hand-made engine, which was charred in this incident, punches out a hefty 513bhp. Lamborghini discontinued the Gallardo in 2013, and replaced it with the Huracan.
Garth Brooks may have friends in low places, but his earning power is quite the opposite.
The country legend pulled in $90 million over the past year, making him No. 1 on our annual Country Cash Kings list. In addition to being the highest total this year, it’s also the biggest single-year payday FORBES has ever recorded for a country act.
Together with wife Trisha Yearwood, Brooks has spent much of the past year playing arena shows across the U.S. in his long-awaited return from semi-retirement. That pent-up demand has allowed the duo to sell out arenas multiple nights in a row, sometimes while playing back-to-back shows in a single night.
Mumbai: India batsman Rohit Sharma has purchased a sprawling 4BHK flat in the plush Ahuja Towers in Worli recently.
The deal is said to be pegged at a whopping Rs 30 crore. The flat is on the 29th floor of the 53-storey skyscraping property which has been granted the Occupation Certificate and is ready for possession. Sharma's sea-facing flat offers a 270-degree breathtaking view of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
It is learnt that the towers are replete with amenities like a concierge service, chef on demand, business area, swimming pool, snooker room, yoga room, salon and spa, kids play area, gymnasium, mini theatre, sky cafe and cigar room spread across four levels.
An overblown, ultra-violent melodrama, Brothers spills a lot of blood and breaks plenty of bones on the way to establishing the primacy of fraternal love.
The collateral damage that the film inflicts isn’t confined to the screen alone. Its excesses could drive the more sensitive and discerning of Bollywood pulp lovers off such fare for a spell, if not for good.
Brothers is an official remake of the 2011 Hollywood actioner Warrior. With the predilections of Indian audiences in mind, it tweaks the source storyline in significant ways in a bid to whip up high-pitched emotions and over-the-top drama.
The film has loads of both – emotion and drama. Yet, it is strangely torpid because ring hollow.
In any case, how edifying and exhilarating can the sight of beefy men pummeling each other be when it is stretched beyond two and a half hours?
The tale revolves around two Mumbai half-brothers, part of a family that once was. Fate brings the two streetfighters head to head in a bloody mixed martial arts contest.
One of them is in the arena for the money that could save his ailing daughter; the other is in the game to redeem his alcoholic father, the man at the root of all their troubles.
As the MMA tournament unfolds along entirely predictable lines, one of the excitable ringside commentators, who is as annoyingly loud as anything else that the film has to offer, hollers that this is “Mahabharat reloaded”, this is epic”.
Country clubs are lovely. They’re a wonderful place to pass the time, enjoy a game of golf or tennis, take a swim in the pool and enjoy dinner at a private restaurant. But wouldn’t they all be better with a little extra power added in?
Atlanta Motorsports Park (AMP) is the result of adding that power to a country club experience, catering to drivers with a taste for luxury and a need for the track. Of course, this isn’t just any track. With the intent of providing the best possible experience for every member, the AMP track was designed by Hermann Tilke, famed racecar driver and designer of the some of the world’s finest F1 tracks.
But even if you’ve never been on a track before, you’re ready for this one. Nearly 75 percent of the 436 current members at AMP had never driven on a track before. While it’s not a wheel-to-wheel racing facility, AMP does offer the necessary tools members need to drive their cars fast and legally, all in a controlled environment.
Tilke has built 27 F1 tracks through Tilke Engineering, and this is the only design of his that was specifically crafted for a country club. It covers a total of two miles and draws its inspiration from the world’s most renowned courses, including the Spa-Francorchamps and the Nurburgring’s Carousel. The elevation changes, with a difference of 100 feet between the highest and lowest points, and the details are even F1 specific – down to the curbing and rumble strips.
A map of the grounds at Atlanta Motorsport Park (click to enlarge)
If you keep your track car at home, you can drive it over for the day, but if you’d prefer to keep the distance between storage and acceleration as short as possible, AMP offers garages for rent in a variety of sizes. It’s the perfect opportunity to escape for some alone time with your favorite car, and it’s an even better opportunity to spend an entire day with the family.
Though this rigorous track is the primary draw to AMP, there are countless other ways to spend your time while there. There’s a pool, fitness center, basketball court and kart track, a restaurant to enjoy lunch or dinner, a series of hiking trails and fire pits for some natural exploration and locker rooms for when the day draws to a close. Stillwater Farms is just across the street, where horseback riding lessons, trail rides, storytelling and arts and crafts are all available.
Really, it’s a new kind of country club designed with the automotive enthusiast in mind. Whether spending the day with the family, with a friend, entertaining a client or enjoying some solitude, Atlanta Motorsports Park can provide the perfect setting. Just get in, hit the gas and go.
