Apple and the iPhone certainly get a lot of buzz in the media, but are they really securely on top when it comes to the smartphone industry? An infographic posted recently by MBAOnline.com analyzes the fierce competition Samsung is creating for Apple.

In 2012, these were the only two companies to turn a profit on smartphones. Revenue in that year totaled $183.5 billion for Samsung and $156.5 billion for Apple. In terms of employees, Samsung has almost twice as many workers at 220,000, compared to Apple's 115,200. Samsung also has a much larger budget for research and advertising, spending $7.1 billion more than Apple in research and rivaling Coca-Cola in advertising dollars. However, Apple still came out on top when it came to profits. In the fourth quarter of 2012, Apple made 43 cents on every dollar spent on smartphones, where Samsung pulled in 36 cents. By comparison, Nokia earned seven cents. All other phones averaged a profit of 14 cents per dollar spent.

Apple's profits totaled 43% more than Samsung's in 2012. But as for who sold the more phones, Samsung came out ahead, giving them a larger market share at 21.8% versus Apple's 15.1%. On top of this, Samsung also boasted a much higher growth rate from 2011 to 2012 in terms of their number of shipments, with 97.5% growth compared to just 38.3% for Apple.

In 2012, Apple ranked number one for smartphone brand loyalty, but Samsung took over the title in 2013 with Apple falling to second. For more facts and figures, check out the infographic.

The iPad is a great device to consume all types of media including magazines, apps, games and books. But apps are by far one of the most used and consumed media on tablets. And since iTunes has one of the biggest offerings when it comes to apps, it stands to reason that they’re also the most in demand.

One niche in particular that is also highly in demand and that stirs up great interest among consumers is the eco friendly and sustainable niche. Whether it’s using solar powered products or learning about the latest in eco home improvement, the GREEN movement is here to stay.

image (via iTunes)

With that in mind, let’s look at a few popular eco apps for the iPad. Enjoy our picks below.

1. Coco Eco iPad App -

This is the accompanying iPad and iPhone app for the magazine known as Coco Eco. It’s a lovely and smart bi monthly magazine aimed at the sustainable consumer that wants information on the latest products, trends and more. Every issue is wirelessly delivered to your iPad and you get the full issue in color complete with all the ads and everything else found in the print edition. The magazine itself covers a bit of everything from tech to fashion, food to various eco causes and green gadgets.

Price: $ FREE

2. Earth 911 -

Earth 911 is a website all about recycling so it’s fitting that they created and released an app called i Recycle. The app provides detailed information on how and where to recycle locally, nationally and beyond. Want to know where to recycle a car battery? Maybe an old computer monitor? Lawn mower? etc - all this and more is found within this iPhone and iPad app. There are lots of ways to navigate and use the app and lots of different ways to find the information you seek, making this an intuitive and smart app for the green and eco minded techie.

Price: $ FREE

3. Solar Panel Adviser -

This cool app let’s you use your iPad to gauge the potential of adding solar panels to your home. Essentially through the Solar Panel Advisor app from Micro Trend Tech you can see how much energy you would save by using solar panels instead of electricity. You point the iPad at the Sun and the information is then outputted on the device itself or to your email inbox. This is a clever app aimed at those who are weighing their options when it comes to solar panels and solar energy.

Price: $ FREE

4. Electric Fireplace Apps for iPad -

You know there’s nothing the iPad cannot do, right. It can wake up you in the morning via fancy alarm clocks, it can keep you awake during the day with coffee apps and at night it can keep you cozy and warm via various virtual fireplace apps. We found a few, but quite liked the Fireplace app for iPad from Voros Innovation. It’s a cute and clever app perfect for camping trips, girls night in or just anytime you want to showcase a cool virtual fireplace. You can download the Voros Innovation app directly via your device or from the iTunes app store.

Price: $ FREE

There you have it. Four fun eco apps for the iPad. Let us know which one is your fave in the comment area below.

Guest post by Missy Diaz who writes on behalf of a home appliance company including items like the popular Dimplex electric fireplace among other smart home products.

Well folks, the day has finally arrived, Apple officially released the specifications for its new iPhone 5. Now a lot of the previous speculation we've commented on in the podcasts is true. Many people are already preordering the new phone, and some are yet to decide. Here is a quick rundown on the main features of the iPhone 5 to help you better make a decision:

1. 18% thinner than the 4S
2. 7.6mm thick
3. Made entirely out of glass and aluminum
4. Retina Display 326 pixels per inch
5. New screen comes with a 4-inch display with 16:9 aspect ratio and 1136 x 640 pixels, 1 inch larger.
6. 44% more color saturation than iPhone 4S. Touch sensors now built into the display itself. Display is 30% thinner as a result and thus, less prone to glare.
7. 30 pin to Lightning adapter will let users plug in 30 pin connector and use with a Lightning plug.
8. Faster A6 Processor.
9. 4G LTE speeds
10. iOS 6 integration

The iPhone 5 is scheduled to be released on Sept. 21, 2012. Here are the pricings for the models:

iPhone 5 16GB - $199

iPhone 5 32GB - $299

iPhone 5 64GB - $399

Sell your old iPhone today to get the new iPhone 5 at Tech Twurl!

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