The Cars That Billionaires Drive.. (Road, user, driver, record, Auckland, boy, racer)

If you had a net worth in the billions of dollars, what would you drive?

According to the Forbes Billionaires List, Mexican telecom giant Carlos Slim Helu is the world’s richest man. He drives a Bentley Continental Flying Spur which costs around $300,000.

Reliance India Chairman Mukesh Ambani with a net worth of $22.3 billion is the world’s richest Indian in the Forbes list. He drives one of the most luxurious cars, a Maybach 62 along with a Mercedes S Class and a Mercedes SL500.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates’ daily drive is a Porsche 959 Coupe. Only 230 examples of this car were built and each one costs $200,000.

The miserly side of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is no secret. He owns one of the cheapest cars, an Acura TSX. It costs about $30,000.

Another modest billionaire, Steve Ballmer, drives a hybrid Ford Fusion which is worth around $30,000.

Financial data tycoon Michael Bloomberg drives an Audi R8 that’s worth more than $150,000.

Heiress of the Wal-Mart fortune, Alice Walton, is the second richest woman in the world. But she owns a simple car, a 2006 Ford F-150 King Ranch. It is worth $40,000.

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, the nephew of Saudi King Abdullah, certainly drives the royal car. However, his Rolls-Royce Phantom is an entry level version and costs around $450,000.

Warren Buffett drives a Cadillac DTS which, according to Business Insider, he bought to support the then failing General motors. Price: around $50,000.

Billionaire Michael Dell drives a cool 2004 Porsche Boxter. Price: around $20,000.

Google’s current executive Chairman Eric Emerson Schmidt loves the nature and drives a Toyota Prius, which is among the cleanest vehicles in the world. Price: around $28,000.

French businessman and the chief executive officer of PPR François-Henri Pinault drives a Lexus LX SUV. Price: around $80,000.

Ikea founder Ingvard Kamprad is worth an estimated $28 billion according to Forbes. However, he seems to be the humblest among the billionaires and has been driving a 1993 Volvo 240. According to Business Insider, if the car sold today, it would only be worth about $1500.

Oracle founder Larry Ellison has a huge collection of pricey cars but the most prestigious possession is a McLaren F1. Production of this car was stopped in 1998 and only 106 were produced. This car could accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 3.2 seconds. This car is currently worth $4.1 million.

Apple founder Steve Jobs’ widow Laurene Powell Jobs drives around in a silver Audi A5. Price: around $40,000.

Phil Knight, co-founder and chairman of Nike, owns an Audi R8. Price: around $115,000.

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Apple, iPhone, Auckland, Repair, North Shore, Unlock, Vodafone, Australia, davidlim

TAIPEI/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Apple Inc's new iPhone will drop the wide dock connector used in the company's gadgets for the best part of a decade in favor of a smaller one, a change likely to annoy the Apple faithful but which could be a boon for accessory makers.

The iPhone 5, Apple's next generation iPhone expected to go on sale around October, will come with a 19-pin connector port at the bottom instead of the proprietary 30-pin port "to make room for the earphone moving to the bottom", two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

That would mean the new phone would not connect with the myriad of accessories such as speakers and power chargers that form part of the ecosystem around iPods, iPads and iPhones, without an adaptor.

That means new business, analysts say.

"It represents an opportunity for accessory vendors," said Pete Cunningham, London-based analyst at technology research firm Canalys. "The iPhone connector has been a standard for a long time now and I would expect the same to be true for a new connector, should Apple change it as expected."

Apple did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.

Tech blogs have long speculated on the demise of the 30-pin connector, which at 21 mm wide takes up a chunk of space, especially as the latest technologies such as microUSB offer more power in less space.

They say that a smaller connector would give Apple more scope for new product designs or a bigger battery, or simply to make ever smaller products.

Switzerland's Logitech, one of the biggest makers of Apple speakers, declined to comment.

But some enterprising vendors in China have already begun offering cases for the new phone, complete with earphone socket on the bottom and a "guarantee" the dimensions are correct.

For some in the peripherals industry, the change could open doors to new business.

"iPod docking speaker sales have been declining for one or two years," said an employee of a Hong Kong-based company that designs speakers especially for Apple products.

"My previous factory is a lucky one. They shifted the focus to Bluetooth speakers, which proved a wise decision now," the employee said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"It looks like while iPod speaker sales are going down, Bluetooth speaker sales are going up."

HAPPY TO UPGRADE?

Apple has already said that some users of older models of its Macbook computers won't be able to use the latest operating system to be announced soon, but analysts think it will be kinder to mobile gadget users.

"Apple needs to find a solution not to disappoint their current clients who want to upgrade to the new iPhone but are tied to an expensive accessory that have bought," said Franciso Geronimo, London-based analyst at technology research firm IDC.

"I believe Apple will come up with some sort of adaptor so the new iPhone can be used with previous connectors."

It could be a difficult change for Apple to manage, even with an adaptor.

"With a smaller connector, what am I going to do with my loudspeaker at home and the fitness pack that I use when I go to the gym? That's the question," said 24-year old Travis Tam, who owns an iPhone 4 and works as an account executive at a social networking company in Hong Kong.

"I feel that the premium gap between the next iPhone 5 and newest Android models is getting much smaller these days. That will mean that details such as having a smaller connector will mean more in whether I will continue to use an iPhone and switch to other Android phones."

A salesman surnamed Chan at an Apple reseller in Hong Kong thought a smaller connector would be a "pain", and would spoil the clean lines and seamless connectivity that is Apple's trademark.

"There are ways around it as some of the speakers have an audio input point that can be connected directly to any iPhone with a earphone jack. It's not a very elegant way of doing things, but it's an alternative," he said.

In the end though, Apple fans are Apple fans.

"I don't think it will stop Apple consumers from buying the new gadgets," said C.K. Lu, Taipei-based analyst at research firm Gartner. "Many companies are interested in developing accessories for Apple because Apple users are more open and willing to buy accessories."

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iPhone 5 to put Samsung Galaxy S III to shame, says manufacturer (Apple, repair, unlock, broken, screen, replcfement

 
Foxconn chief Terry Gou is urging customers out to get the very best smartphone to wait for the release of the iPhone 5. The manufacturer of Apple's new iPhone told China Times: "The new model will put Samsung's Galaxy S III to Shame."

During the annual shareholder's meeting of the Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (trading as Foxconn), Gou suggested that with his company's marketing and manufacturing expertise combined with Sharp's key technologies - namely in the display arena - they will be able to completely defeat Samsung in the next three to five years.

And specifically he called for smartphone buyers to hold on at least until later this year, calling on "consumers to wait for the launch of the iPhone 5".

There is no love lost between Hon Hai and Samsung, with Gou previously accusing the Korean company of "snitching on its competitors". In 2010, Samsung is claimed to have given up the names of four Taiwanese manufacturers in a flat panel display price-fixing investigation, itself being made exempt from any further action as a "tainted witness".

Therefore, you can probably take what Gou says with a pinch of salt. However, he also stated during the shareholder's meeting that his company had an exclusivity agreement with Gorilla Glass maker Corning Inc, and that "his competitors will not be able to secure any such material if they wished to". That gives the iPhone 5 (and other products made by Foxconn) at least one advantage over competitors.


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iPhone 5 to have Apple's thinnest ever screen (Dr Mobiles LImited, iPhone Repair, iOS, unlock, Galaxy. S3, North Shore, Auckland

Apple is said to be employing a new LCD display into the upcoming iPhone 5 that integrates touch sensors, meaning no extra layer of glass is needed to make it sensitive to touch. The technology will ensure the next-generation iPhone will house the thinnest display to date and could make room for larger components such as a bigger battery.

The display is already said to be in production and being manufactured by Sharp. Sharp is fitting the display panels with its own in-cell technology that will reduce the thickness of the glass screen by removing the need for a second touch-sensitive display

As well as making more room for components, by implementing Sharp’s technology Apple could feasibly keep the weight of the device down to a minimum while making the screen bigger than previous iPhone models, a move that is expected from the Cupertino giant.

Though the current iPhone 4S is just 9.3mm thick, the Samsung Galaxy S III for example has a thinner screen on account of OLED displays - which is what Samsung uses - being naturally thinner than LCDs. Apple looks set to address this with the iPhone 5. 

With so many iPhone 5 rumours doing the rounds, pay our rumour page a visit to keep up with all the latest whispers and murmurs.

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