Google Wallet's new 'Orders' feature lets you track online shipments

Nice to see Google is keeping the regular Google Wallet updates coming. A few weeks after introducing loyalty card scans, the company is adding a feature called "Orders," which lets you track your online shipments using Google Wallet's iOS or Android app. In particular, you can view receipts for purchases you made online, as well as check the shipping status (Google says it's made arrangements with "primary package carriers in the US"). The roll-out appears to have already begun, though it could take a while for the update to reach some devices -- yours truly, for instance, is still waiting.

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Source: Google (Twitter), (Blogspot)

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Analysts Expect 3D Printer Shipments To Grow Ten Times Before 2017

Hardware analysts at IDC are estimating that 3D printer shipments will grow 10 times in the period between now and 2017. Printers, once the provenance of hackers and engineers, will soon be household commodities.

“Print is extending beyond output on media to the creation of an actual object, and that presents incredible opportunity,” quoth Keith Kmetz, VP at IDC. “While traditional print technologies are facing maturity, 3D printers will see worldwide unit shipments grow by 10 times over the forecast period, and worldwide hardware value will more than double in the short term.”

IDC cites the move by HP to enter the 3D printing market in 2014 as well as Konica Minolta’s agreement to distribute higher-end 3D printers. Add in the mid-level players like Makerbot and upstarts like Afinia and Lulzbot and you have a robust market. Furthermore, patents controlling the process of laser sintering are set to expire in 2014, thereby opening up new possibilities for the new home 3D printer. Because patents often discourage the small manufacturer from exploring a particular technology, this patent expiration should improve things considerably in the metal and plastic printing front. O brave new world, That has such printers in’t!

via 3Ders

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Report: MediaTek to report lower Q1 shipments of integrated circuits for handsets

With most of its customers already loaded up on integrated circuits earmarked for handsets, MediaTek will probably report a 15 to 20% drop in shipments sequentially for the first quarter of 2014. This is the word from "industry sources" who say that the silicon slinger is making comparisons tough because of a strong fourth quarter of 2013. Customers in China have already started ordering enough inventory to cover the first quarter, which incudes the Lunar New Year holiday in the country.

Thanks to its rising share of the 3G market, and the delivery of its new 4G enabled chips, MediaTek is expected to have a good year in 2014. Samples of its 4G chips have been sent off to customers, and shipments of the chips should start in earnest shortly after the end of the second quarter.

After reporting a company record of  $39.01 billion NT ($1.33 billion USD) in third quarter revenues, MediaTek previously said it expected Q4's top-line to be flat or off 5% when compared to the previous quarter. Regardless, it has been a great year for the company, as sales are up 34.1% over last year as of November at $122.97 billion NT ($4.1 billion USD).

In addition to the numbers, MediaTek has become to "go-to" guys for those OEMs producing low-cost and entry-level phones. In addition, the company introduced the world's first true octa-core CPU earlier this year. For the first time, a processor has the ability to have all eight cores active at one time.

source: DigiTimes
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