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Friday, October 26, 2012

Samsung doubles Apple's smartphone market share as Nokia falters

Samsung scored 31.3 percent ownership in the third quarter. Apple could only muster 15 percent ownership.

 
Samsung and Apple are dominating the smartphone market, new data from research firm IDC has revealed.
During the third quarter, Samsung shipped 56.3 million smartphones worldwide, helping it to secure 31.3 percent ownership of that space. Just a year prior, Samsung shipped 28.1 million handsets and nabbed 22.7 percent market ownership.
Samsung's shipments last quarter were strong enough to double Apple's share, which hit 15 percent on 26.9 million unit shipments. Last year, Apple shipped 17.1 million smartphones and nabbed 13.8 percent of the market.
After Apple, there isn't much to write home about in IDC's findings. Research In Motion held on to the third spot in IDC's study with 4.3 percent market share, but that's down from 9.6 ownership last year. China-based ZTE made it on the list in fourth place, but the company could only muster 4.2 percent share. HTC rounded out the top five with 4 percent market share.

Perhaps the most notable finding from IDC's study is not what companies are in the top five, but which firm is not. According to IDC, Nokia, for the first time, has dropped off the top five list of smartphone vendors.
"Nokia's share losses have meant gains for competitors," Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC, said in a statement. "The company's transition away from Symbian-powered smartphones to ones shipped with Windows Phone has left ample opportunity for rivals to steal share away from Nokia over the past 18 months."
That said, Restivo cautioned that the smartphone market is "still relatively nascent, which means there's room for multiple vendors and operating systems to flourish, including Nokia."
IDC didn't say how many smartphones Nokia shipped, but the research firm did reveal that it shipped a total of 82.9 million mobile handsets last quarter, down 22 percent compared to the 106.5 million it shipped in the third quarter of 2011.
All told, 179.7 million smartphones shipped last quarter, representing a whopping 45 percent gain over the prior year. Total mobile handset shipments reached 444.5 million last quarter, up just 2.4 percent compared to the 434.1 million shipped in 2011.

Apple turns U.K. legal loss into new Samsung attack

The company maker turns a legal requirement to publicly acknowledge defeat in its U.K. High Court patent case against Samsung into a new chance to say Samsung copied the iPad.


A week after Apple lost an appeal at the U.K. High Court, the iPhone and iPad maker has followed the court's requirement to publish a notice its U.K. home page stating the court's finding that Samsung didn't infringe its patents.

But not in a way that shows any contrition. Instead, Apple used the notice as a new opportunity to make its case against its tablet rival.

On October 18, a U.K. High Court appeals judge ruled that Samsung did not infringe Apple's design patents in the U.K., after an earlier ruling by Judge Colin Birss claiming that Samsung tablets weren't as "cool" as the iPad.

As a result, Birss originally ruled that Apple must run notices on its U.K. Web site and in a number of U.K. printed publications stating that Samsung did not infringe Apple's patents and therefore did not break U.K. law.
The court ruled that the notice must stay on Apple's site for one month.
Apple applied for a stay on the ruling, which it was granted, but lost the appeal last week.
Thus, Apple duly changed its U.K. home page this morning, adding a small link at the bottom of the page with the title "Samsung/Apple UK judgment."
In the statement, Apple turned what Apple's lawyer called an "advertisement" for Samsung's win into an opportunity to toot its own horn. In it, Apple quoted Birss' conclusion (PDF) that its products are "cool" and the Samsung Galaxy tablets are less so.
The final two paragraphs of the statement are most telling.
In them, Apple said that a case in Germany regarding the same patent found Samsung was "copying" the iPad design. Ditto for the U.S, where Apple was awarded more than $1 billion in damages. Comparing the U.K. case to others around the world, Apple concluded, "Samsung willfully copied Apple's far more popular iPad."
The full text of Apple's message reads as follows:
Samsung / Apple UK judgment
On 9th July 2012 the High Court of Justice of England and Wales ruled that Samsung Electronic (UK) Limited's Galaxy Tablet Computer, namely the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Tab 8.9 and Tab 7.7 do not infringe Apple's registered design No. 0000181607-0001. A copy of the full judgment of the High court is available on the following link www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Patents/2012/1882.html.
In the ruling, the judge made several important points comparing the designs of the Apple and Samsung products:
"The extreme simplicity of the Apple design is striking. Overall it has undecorated flat surfaces with a plate of glass on the front all the way out to a very thin rim and a blank back. There is a crisp edge around the rim and a combination of curves, both at the corners and the sides. The design looks like an object the informed user would want to pick up and hold. It is an understated, smooth and simple product. It is a cool design."
"The informed user's overall impression of each of the Samsung Galaxy Tablets is the following. From the front they belong to the family which includes the Apple design; but the Samsung products are very thin, almost insubstantial members of that family with unusual details on the back. They do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design. They are not as cool."
That Judgment has effect throughout the European Union and was upheld by the Court of Appeal on 18 October 2012. A copy of the Court of Appeal’s judgment is available on the following link www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2012/1339.html. There is no injunction in respect of the registered design in force anywhere in Europe.
However, in a case tried in Germany regarding the same patent, the court found that Samsung engaged in unfair competition by copying the iPad design. A U.S. jury also found Samsung guilty of infringing on Apple's design and utility patents, awarding over one billion U.S. dollars in damages to Apple Inc. So while the U.K. court did not find Samsung guilty of infringement, other courts have recognized that in the course of creating its Galaxy tablet, Samsung willfully copied Apple's far more popular iPad.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Apple wins preliminary ruling from U.S. ITC that Samsung violates 4 design and touch patents

And we're back to the famous never-ending Apple vs Samsung patent war, they both are suing each other for almost anything and everything. Anyway Apple has won a preliminary ruling against Samsung in an ITC case that had begun last year. The ruling states that Samsung has violated four Apple patents related to iPhone design and touch screen technology, including a patent co-invented by Steve Jobs.

The ruling was passed by US International Trade Commission Judge Thomas Pender. This is just a preliminary ruling until it can be reviewed by the full commission. If it is upheld  the ITC has the power to stop infringing Samsung products from being imported into the US. This is part of a counter-suit that Apple filed with the ITC after Samsung issued one vs. Apple in July of 2011.

Apple’s motion for injunction set forth its position that Samsung had ‘slavishly’ copied the design of the iPhone and iPad in the creation of the Galaxy Tab, Infuse 4G and other products.
Samsung believes that “There is no legal basis for [the motion for injunction] by Apple. We will continue to serve our customers and sales of Samsung products will proceed as usual.” Adam Yates, Director of Corporate Communications for Samsung North America told us last year, “Samsung will continue to actively defend and protect our intellectual property to ensure our continued innovation and growth in the mobile communication business.”

Samsung’s initial claim against Apple was ruled against preliminarily in September. Here are the US patents in question in that counter-claim: #7,706,348#7,486,644#6,771,980 and  #7,450,114.
Samsung, of course, suffered a fairly major blow this summer when jury ruled almost entirely in its favor in an infringement trial in the U.S. courts.

Yahoo cuts 200 jobs as a result of shutting down its Korean business

Reuters is reporting that Yahoo will be eliminating 200 jobs today as a result of plans the search engine had to make because it has closed down its Korean business. Shares for the company are down 0.72% to $16.55 as of now.

Just last week, the company announced that it was officially shuttering its business in South Korea in an effort to restructure itself. Yahoo’s CEO Marissa Mayer said at the time, “This decision is part of our efforts to streamline operations and focus our resources on building a stronger global business that’s set up for long-term growth and success.”

Currently, Yahoo is Korea’s ninth-most visited website, according to web-ranking firm Alexa, but lags other search engines like Google and Baidu. This move is probably not that surprising given that Yahoo said it was going to end its operations in the country. However, Yahoo still believes it has a future in the rest of the region and doesn’t have plans to end business elsewhere.

While Yahoo claims that they’re not getting out of Asia, it has been making some moves to sell of shares in its Asian investments — earlier this year, the company sold part of its stake in Alibaba, then it announced it would shut down its Indonesian check-in service Koprol, and it might even be selling its share of Yahoo! Japan. Looks like these efforts are all part of Mayer’s restructuring plan to bring Yahoo back to its once vibrant self again.

Google's Nexus 7 is inching its way into Web-traffic stats

The Nexus 7 flanked by its chief competitors, the Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet.
The Nexus 7, center, is starting to register as a source of web traffic -- but Android tablets still trail the iPad. 

In the first three months since it was introduced, Google's Nexus 7 tablet has begun making a dent in web traffic, according to new data.
Compared to the iPad, which accounted for 91 percent of all tablet traffic in the latest Chitika tablet market share report, the Nexus 7 is just a blip. But Google has to start somewhere, and so it may be heartened to see that the tablet's share of traffic jumped 135 percent from July.

Of course, it was basically starting from zero, and still represents only 0.33 percent of Web traffic. The heaviest hitter among Android tablets -- which, again, is not all that heavy -- is Samsung, whose Galaxy Tab pulls in about 2.5 percent of tablet web traffic. Chitika reports that combined traffic from Samsung's 7- and 10-inch tablets is double that of any other Android tablet.

Still, it's remarkable the degree to which the iPad accounts for tablet web traffic. "In order to make the graph readable, we had to measure other tablets on a 'per 100 iPad impressions' scale," a spokesman told us. Two and a half years after the iPad's debut, Web surfing on Android tablets still barely registers.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Now Samsung Is Suing Apple Over the iPhone 5


The patent brawl between Samsung and Apple marches on. Samsung on Tuesday filed amendment documents requesting to add the iPhone 5 to its existing suit against the Cupertino company.
Samsung accuses Apple’s latest smartphone of infringing eight of its patents, the same ones it claims Apple’s new iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, and iPod touch also infringe. In its filing, Samsung states, “The iPhone 5 has the same accused functionality as the previously accused versions of the iPhone, so the proof of infringement of the patents-in-suit by the iPhone 5 is the same as for other Apple devices already accused of infringement in this litigation.”
To justify adding the iPhone 5 to the previous filing, Samsung states in its amendment that it “could not have known whether the rumored iPhone 5 would practice its patented technologies when it filed its infringement contentions on June 15. The product was not on the market at that time and could not have been included in the contentions.”
Nonetheless, Samsung had already threatened to sue Apple over the iPhone 5 this month. And earlier reports indicated that Samsung had planned to add the iPhone 5 to its list of infringing Apple devices once it confirmed that the smartphone had 4G LTE capability.
The news comes just over month after a U.S. jury found Samsung guilty of violating many of Apple’s design patents. The jury decided Samsung owed Apple close to $1.05 billion in damages.

Google withdraws patent complaint against Apple


Google subsidiary Motorola Mobility has dropped a complaint of patent infringement against Apple without explanation.
In a brief filing with the International Trade Commission made on Monday, Motorola Mobility said it was dropping without prejudice a complaint that Apple had infringed on seven Motorola patents.
Reuters had reported in August that the two companies were in settlement talks. Telephone calls to Google on the matter were not immediately returned. Apple did not return telephone calls seeking comment.
The complaint can be re-submitted. Google did say in its filing that "there are no agreements between Motorola and Apple, written or oral, express or implied, concerning the subject matter of this investigation."
The two companies have been locked in an international patent war since 2010, as Apple has sought to limit the growth of Google's Android system. The fight has embroiled Samsung, HTCand others that use Android.
The biggest victory in the fight so far belongs to Apple. On August 24, a jury in a California federal court ordered Samsung to pay $1.05 billion in damages after finding that Samsung had copied critical features of the iPhone and iPad and could face an outright sales ban on key products.
Samsung was the top-selling mobile-phone maker in the second quarter of 2012, with Apple in third place, according to data from Gartner Inc.

Google Wants To Make Your Site Faster With Its New Tag Manager

One counterpoint to all of Google’s spring cleaning: it’s also moving ahead with launching new features. Tag Manager, out today, is aimed at help websites speed up their load times and make modifying them a little more efficient to boot, with the introduction of all-in-one coding that links up with analytics and other advertising and marketing services.
The challenge that Google is trying to fix is this: there are a lot of analytics, marketing and advertising services that websites can use today to monitor how their content is used, and to better monetize that content. But with each service comes a bit of code that needs to be incorporated into the site. Each piece of code means speaking with different third-party services, and that can slow a site down to no end. (Just look at the bottom of your screen on a slow-loading site and you can often see the passage of these different services.)
On top of that, incorporating new code for each analytics, marketing or advertising service can take up to two weeks to do.
Tag Manager aims to solve that by creating single tags that link up with all of these services in one go, meaning quicker loading times, and quicker coding turnarounds. Google has preset some services for users — predictably, those of its own AdWords, DoubleClick and Google Analytics — but it also lets users add in their own selection. Google also has started a vendor program, from today, that also gives companies the chance to create their own templates.
Features in Google Tag Manager from today point to Google aiming this not just at single developers but much larger organizations, too. They include asynchronous tag loading for faster load times, “tags can fire faster without getting in each other’s way, and without slowing down the user-visible part of the page,” Laura Holmes, Product Manager, writes in a blog post; tag templates (which really are easy to use; I’ve tried it), aimed at marketers to add tags; preview mode to test out the tags; a debug console and a version history to track your changes and revert if necessary; user permissions and multi-account functionality “to make it easy for large teams and agencies and clients to work together with appropriate levels of access.” More features are coming online soon, Holmes writes.
The service is launching globally today in English, with local-language versions coming down the line soon.
Third-parties that offer a way for sites to manage and consolidate their tagging are not new. There have been companies around since about 2007 offering such services. In fact one of the earlier movers in this space, QuBit, was founded by ex-Googlers and now has some 1,200 enterprises using its own Open Tag service. Graham Cooke, the MD of QuBit, supports the idea of Google moving into this space. “When Google Analytics emerged as a free product, it didn’t kill that space. It made it,” he explains, and he believes that with tagging services still in a relatively nascent phase, the same could happen here. “This is a revolutionary way of viewing one’s data platform, because the more you can measure, the more value you can give to your customers,” he adds.
While Google offers its Tag Manager for free, those like QuBit who offer it as a paid service will include features like SLAs and other managed service elements.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Windows Phone challenging RIM for third place in Europe

Android and iOS still dominate the smartphone markets, sharing 93% of sales in the U.S. and 83% in Europe.

iOS 6, Adroid 4.1, Jelly Bean, Windows Phone 8
Apple's iOS, Google's Android Jelly Bean and Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 are vying to be the top smartphone operating systems.



Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system is gaining on Research in Motion, a new study says, but it still has a long way to go before catching Android and iOS.
Windows Phone is vying with RIM for third place in Europe as low-end devices -- like the Nokia 610 -- drive sales in key markets such as Italy and France, according to a global smartphone sales report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.
But iOS and Android still make up the vast majority of sales in the region, sharing about 83% of the share in the big five European markets of Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, the report said. Their percentage is even higher in the U.S. at about 93%.
Google's Android operating system and Apple's iOS software have grabbed the lion's share of the smartphone market, but other players are vying to gain a piece as the smartphone market continues soaring. Microsoft has been pushing its Windows Phone operating system, but it hasn't gained much traction with users. However, that could change with the introduction of its revamped operating system later this month.
Dominic Sunnebo, Kantar global consumer insight director, said it's "highly likely" that Windows Phone will overtake RIM for the No. 3 spot in Europe before the end of the year due to "the momentum Windows 8 will bring towards the end of 2012."
In the third quarter, Windows Phone had 5% market share in the five big European markets. A year ago, its share was 3.8%. RIM, by comparison, saw its market share drop to 6.4% from 12% in the year-earlier period.
In the U.S., Windows Phone was 2.7% of the market, while RIM was 1.7%.
Android, meanwhile, saw the biggest jump in Europe in the period, with its hold on the region soaring 20% to 69%. iOS slid 4.3%. In the U.S., Android retained the top position with 60% of sales, with iOS following at 34%. However, Android's percentage was down 3.3% from the previous year while iOS climbed 9%.

HTC One X+ with Jelly Bean and Sense 4+ official, One X and One S Android 4.1 updates start in Oct.


HTC One X+ official
The HTC One X+ is one of the leakiest handsets in recent memory, appearing three times in as many days at the end of September, but today the leaks can finally stop because the new One family member has made the leap into official-dom. As expected, HTC's One X+ looks pretty much the same as the original One X on the surface, but it packs a handful of hardware upgrades underneath. That includes a bump to a 1.7GHz quad-core Tegra 3 AP37 processor, 64GB of internal storage and a 2,100mAh battery. The remainder of the One X+'s spec sheet includes a 4.7-inch 1280x720 Super LCD 2 display, 8-megapixel rear camera, 1.6-megapixel front shooter and 1GB RAM.
On the software side of things, the One X+ will ship with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean beneath HTC's Sense 4+ overlay. HTC says that Sense 4+ includes tweaks like a Self Portait mode for the front-facing camera that adds "subtle enhancements" to a user's skin and eyes as well as two new ways to view photos and images in the Gallery. There's also a new HTC Get Started mode to help users set up their new handset through the browser on their main computer.
So when can you get your hands on all of this? The HTC One X+ is slated to begin arriving in Europe and North Asia in October. There's no word on a U.S. launch just yet, though HTC does promise that a separate announcement concerning North American availability is coming.
Finally, HTC dropped some good news for some folks that are already members of the One family. The company announced that it plans to begin rolling out an update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and Sense 4+ to the HTC One X and One S starting in October. However, no U.S.-specific rollout details are available quite yet.
HTC's announcement of the One X+ this morning doesn't contain many surprises thanks to the fact that the phone leaked more times than most of us care to count, but the phone still looks like a worthwhile option for folks in the hunt for a high-end Android smartphone. Meanwhile, I'm sure that folks that already have a One X or One S are happy to hear that their Jelly Bean updates are finally nearly ready to start rolling out, though it's a mystery as to when those updates will make it through the carrier approval process and hit the AT&T One X and T-Mobile One S. Here's to hoping for some speedy testing. HTC's full announcement of the One X+ is available below for your early morning reading pleasure.

HTC Introduces The HTC One™ X+. More Speed, More Storage And More Battery Life Make HTC's Best Rated Android Phone, Even Better
HTC also announces Sense™ 4+ with Android Jelly Bean upgrades for HTC One X and HTC One S coming soon
TAIPEI, Taiwan, Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today unveiled the HTC One™ X+, a refreshed version of its award winning HTC One™ X smartphone, running the HTC Sense™ 4+ experience on Android™ Jelly Bean. The HTC One™ X+ combines the iconic design, amazing camera and authentic audio experience of the HTC One series, with increased performance, longer battery life and expanded internal storage.
"We are taking the HTC One™ X to a new level with the introduction of the new HTC One™ X+," said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. "Our customers will have super-fast browsing, an even better camera and more immersive entertainment with Beats Audio."
Performance, Endurance and Storage
Featuring a 1.7 GHz quad-core NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 AP37 processor and 64GB of internal storage, the HTC One™ X+ LTE version is up to 67% faster than the HTC One™ X[1] LTE, making the HTC One™ X+ the best rated Android phone on the market. Developed to be lightning fast, the HTC One™ X+ enables quicker web browsing, fluid gaming and graphic rendering, and speedy downloads, providing effortless usage on the go.
In addition to its increased performance speeds, the HTC One™ X+ introduces extended performance with the inclusion of a 2100 mAh battery, giving you up to 50% (6 hours) more talk time, and longer to browse the web and enjoy your favorite music and videos[2].
Imaging, Music and Movies
Combining the amazing camera capabilities of its predecessor[3]* with a series of intelligent features, powered by Sense™ 4+, the HTC One™ X+ has been designed to deliver the most premium mobile experience. The newly launched Self Portrait mode on the front camera helps you capture high quality photos by intuitively detecting the human face at various angles and applying subtle enhancements to skin and eyes. Sightseeing mode makes sure you'll always be ready to capture the moment - one touch of the power button bypasses the lock screen and launches directly into the camera. Two new views in the Gallery display images and videos and group them according to where and when they were taken.
Exclusively available on HTC smartphones, Beats Audio™ provides authentic, studio-quality sound that delivers the most immersive sound experience with an enhanced audio profile, crisper vocals and detailed high notes for your music, games, movies and videos. Making it easier to listen to music out loud, and through Sense™ 4+, the HTC One™ X+ introduces a new Tap and Go function, which allows you to connect the phone and your music to Beats speakers[4] when you tap them. To disconnect, it is just another quick tap.
Providing exclusive access to thousands of movies through HTC Watch 2.0, the HTC One™ X+ will appeal to both the avid film fan and the casual movie-goer. Combined with the introduction of video hub, another benefit of Sense™ 4+, for the first time you will be able to put all your video entertainment in a single place.
Easy Set Up
A new feature in the HTC One™ X+ is HTC Get Started, a new web service that guides the user painlessly through the set-up and personalisation process from a desktop web browser.  Designed to enhance the experience of setting up a phone for the first time, this feature ensures that users will get the most out of their new phone from the beginning.  With the touch of a button, the user's phone will reflect the settings and apps that were chosen on the Web.  Visit start.htc.com for more details.
Availability
The HTC One™ X+ will be available in Europe and North Asia from October and in South Asia from November 2012. North America will make a separate announcement regarding availability of the HTC One™ X+. The Android Jelly Bean with HTC™ Sense 4+ update is scheduled to begin rolling out for the HTC One™ S and HTC One™ X from October.
About HTC
Founded in 1997, HTC Corp. (HTC) is the creator of many award-winning mobile devices and industry firsts. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC pushes the boundaries of design and technology to create innovative and personal experiences for consumers around the globe. HTC's portfolio includes smartphones and tablets powered by HTC Sense®, a multilayered graphical user interface that vastly improves user experience. HTC is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE: 2498). For more information, please visit www.htc.com.
The names of companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

[1] HTC One™ X+ (non LTE) is up to 27% faster than the HTC One™ X (non LTE). Source: HTC internal testing

[2] HTC One™ X+ has up to 37% more talk time than the HTC One™ X (up to 50% for LTE version). 6 hours more talk time (LTE version) and 4.7 hours more talk time (non LTE) when compared to the HTC One™ X. Source: HTC internal testing

[3] 8MP camera with an f/2.0 wide aperture lens, backside-illuminated (BSI) sensor, Video Pic, HDR and one-press Continuous Shooting

[4] Tap and Go only works on selected Beats speakers, which are sold separately to the handset

Monday, October 1, 2012

Microsoft Previews New JavaScript Like Programming Language TypeScript


javascript

Today Microsoft released a developer preview of TypeScript, a new JavaScript-like programming language that is translated into JavaScript so that its apps can be run in any browser. The language and compiler are open source under an Apache 2.0 license.
TypeScript has a syntax that is very similar to JavaScript, but adds features such as optional static typing that Microsoft programming language guru Anders Hejlsberg says will make it easier for developers to build larger applications. It attempts to address some of the same issues that Google’s Dart programming language does, but without a radical departure from JavaScript.
Like CoffeeScript, TypeScript compiles to JavaScript, but that’s where the similarities end. Hejlsberg says TypeScript is actually largely based on the specifications of the next version of JavaScript being developed by the ECMA committee.
JavaScript started out as a simple scripting language for the Netscape browser, it was never intended to become a language for building large scale applications. Yet the rise of the web and HTML5 have made it into the standard language for client-side development, and Node.js has proved to be a popular way of writing JavaScript applications on the server side.
Frameworks like Backbone.js, the heavily venture funded Meteor and Nodejitsu‘s Flatiron are also trying to address the issue of making it easier to develop modern JavaScript applications.
TypeScript (like CoffeeScript) will actually work with existing frameworks and libraries — any JavaScript can just be pasted into TypeScript and should just work.
Hejlsberg created Turbo Pascal, was the chief architect Delphi, is the lead architect of C# and LINQ. He developed TypeScript with Steve Lucco and Luke Hoban.
Here’s a list of features:
  • Optional static typing
  • Class declarations
  • Support for modules
  • A Visual Studio plugin
Asked whether Microsoft might do something to prioritize TypecSript in Internet Explorer, Lucco, the chief architect of IE’s JavaScript rendering engine Chakra, says no. Because most developers will only actually be putting TypeScript online, it’s not in Microsoft’s best interest to handicap JavaScript, and there won’t be any real way for IE to run TypeScript faster than any other browser can — apart from differences in their JavaScript rendering engines, of course.

HP shows ElitePad 900 Windows 8 business tablet

hp, tablet
HP's Atom-powered ElitePad 900
Hewlett-Packard on Monday introduced the ElitePad 900, the company's first Windows 8 tablet aimed at business users.
Scheduled for release in the U.S. in January, the 10-inch slate supports pen input and drive encryption, as well as optional 3G and 4G connectivity. HP did not announce pricing.
The ElitePad 900 has an aluminum shell, housing the 10.1-inch display with 1280-by-800-pixel resolution. The IPS display is coated in Gorilla Glass, making the tablet 9.2mm thick and weighing in at 1.5 pounds. HP says that the battery should last around ten hours on a single charge.
Inside, HP's Windows 8 tablet runs on an Intel Atom processor with 2GB of RAM, with storage options of 32GB or 64GB. Behind the service door on the back you will find a microSD card slot and one for 3G and 4G SIM cards. On the back there's an 8-megapixel camera with a flash, while on the front there's a video call camera that supports 1080p HD quality video.
HP also prepared a line of accessories to go with the ElitePad 900. A range of adapters are available for the proprietary connector on the tablet, including an SD card reader, full USB port, Ethernet, line out, VGA, and HDMI. Alternatively, you can get all these connectivity options via a dock, which can be also paired with a wireless keyboard.
Alternatively, HP also made what it calls Smart Jackets, basically faux cases that add functionality. One of the Smart Cases has USB and HDMI ports, a card reader and a removable battery, while a second clamshell-style case turns the ElitePad 900 into a laptop hybrid.
Dell has also announced a 10-inch Windows 8 tablet aimed at the business market, and its the Latitude 10 is scheduled to ship by the end of October. Dell's tablet screen has a higher resolution at 1366 by 768 pixels, but the tablet has otherwise very similar specs. Dell has not yet announced pricing, either.
Other PC manufacturers previously previewed some of their Windows 8 devices, including tablets and ultrabooks.

New, touch-optimized MSN portal to showcase Windows 8, IE 10 this fall

Microsoft plans to make a touch-optimized version of its MSN portal available to users running Windows 8/Windows RT and Internet Explorer 10 as of October 26.
newmsnonwintablet
Microsoft officials are showing off a near-final preview of that portal in New York during Advertising Week, which kicks off this week on October 1. They also will be showing off new touch-centric Windows 8/Windows RT ads that will be available on MSN and on select Windows Store apps during this week's advertising confab.
The updated MSN portal will be available only to Windows 8/Windows RT and IE 10 users, starting with those in Microsoft's 11 biggest markets worldwide, saidd Bob Visse, General Manager of MSN.com. It will not be vieweable by the public until October 26, the day Windows 8 goes on sale at retail -- even by those who already are running the final version of Windows 8. Consumers using older versions of Windows and Internet Explorer (or other third-party browsers) won't have access to the updated MSN experience for the foreseeable future, he said.
The new portal will have a Metro look and feel. While optimized to be navigable via touch gestures, it also will support mice and keyboards. The MSN logo in the upper left corner serves as a "return to home" anchor for the site.
The updated site will feature MSN News -- the updated news portal featuring AP and Reuters news, along with content from Microsoft's own reporters. (Visse declined to say how many reporters Microsoft is employing now that it sold its 50 percent stake in the former MSNBC joint venture, but that number is estimated at 100.) The new MSN also will feature entertainment, sports and money subsites, like the current MSN portal does.
The new MSN portal site will include tutorials to help users learn how to navigate the new site and take advantage of Windows 8/Windows RT features like "snapping" appications to the side, and making use of the new charms.
"Eventually, we also will offer a MSN Windows 8 app and Windows Phone 8 app, too," said Visse. Visse didn't have a timetable to share as to when those apps will be available.
Microsoft also offers a Windows 8 Bing News app (which is available currently in the Windows Store), as well as the new MSN portal. While both will serve up "news" content, Bing News will be more like an aggregated news source, while the MSN portal is meant to deliver content, but also highlight and demonstrate other Microsoft technologies, like Bing search, Skype, Outlook.com, etc.
Windows 8/Windows RT users will have the option of circumventing the new MSN if they so choose and revert back to "classic" mode, which is what users with other browsers and Windows versions will see.

Internet Explorer continues to lead the Market Shares with 53.63 Percent

Firefox and Chrome have chipped away at its lead, but IE remains top dog, according to the latest data from Net Applications.
 
 
Microsoft's Internet Explorer still grabs more than half of all traffic among browsers, at least as viewed by Web tracker Net Applications.
Leading the desktop browser market for September, IE took home a share of 53.6 percent. That left Firefox in second place with 20 percent and Chrome in third with almost 19 percent.
Trailing the top five were Apple's Safari with 5.2 percent and Opera with just 1.6 percent.
IE's lead has dipped over the past few years. A high of 79 percent in November 2007 fell to a low of 51.8 percent last December before recovering a bit the past year. Firefox captured a high of 25 percent in November 2009 before slipping to 19.7 percent this past May.
In the meantime, Chrome continues to slowly but surely inch its way higher. Since its debut four years ago, Google's browser has seen a steady rise up the charts, hitting a high of 19.5 percent in May. Chrome could have handily outpaced Firefox by now had it not experienced a decline over the past few months.
Drilling down to specific versions, Internet Explorer 8 was the leader, grabbing 24 percent of all browser traffic seen by Net Applications. IE 9 was second with 19.4 percent. That left Chrome version 21 with 14 percent and Firefox 15 with almost 11 percent.
Among mobile phone and tablet browsers, Apple's mobile Safari was on top with a 64 percent share, a healthy gain from 55 percent a year ago.
Android's built-in browser was second with almost 21 percent, up from 16 percent in September 2011.
Opera Mini, the BlackBerry OS browser, and the Symbian OS browser all saw their share of traffic continue to plummet as more users adopt iOS and Android devices.
Net Applications records the number of unique visits to its network of more than 40,000 Web sites and includes only one unique visit per site per day. The company typically tracks around 160 million unique visits per month.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Hot Keys, Keyboard Shortcuts & Windows 8 tricks

Microsoft Windows 8 is not easy to use for newbies as its so different from its previous generations. The Windows is pretty elegant and doesn't have desktop as its primary screen which is making some minds think that its not meant for standard desktop users. Obviously, users never accept that amount of change at the first glance. Anyway, if you're new to Windows 8/facing problems switching screens or you probably don't understand where to find things, then the following hotkeys - keyboard shortcuts will for sure help you.

Start+Q Search application
Start+W Search settings
Start+F Search File
Start+E  My Computer
Start+R Run
Start+T Tab between applications
Start+U Ease of access center
Start+I Windows8 settings menu
Start+P Connect to a projector or secondary screen
Start+D Switch to desktop
Start+B  Switch to desktop
Start+H Share
Start+K Send
Start+L Lock device
Start+X  Power/Management menu
Start+C Windows 8 charms bar
Start+M Minimize application
Start+1, 2, 3, .. , 9 Switch to 1st, 2nd, 3rd... application as they appear on taskbar
Start+Enter Voice navigation
PageUp Move tiles to left
PageDown Move tiles to right

To turn on hibernate option, go to Control Panel\Hardware and Sound\Power Options\System Settings. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable and check Hibernate at the bottom.

 



Pointing the cursor at extreme top-left will display a tile with access to the last app.
Pointing the cursor at extreme bottom-left will display a tile with Windows8 start or desktop. However, moving the cursor slightly to the top, from there, would display a side bar with tiles of apps that are already launched.
Pointing the cursor at extreme bottom-right will display Windows 8 charms bar.

For now, there's no third part antivirus program available for Windows 8 and you don't even need one as its Windows Defender is already equipped with that. Its as good as Microsoft Security Essentials.

If your version of Windows 8 doesn't have any Start menu and you wish to add one, then install ViStart

Monday, September 24, 2012

Apple looks to poach former Google Maps staff for iOS

After trouble with Maps, Apple is looking to bolster its staff and start improving the mapping application built into iOS 6.
(Credit: Apple)

After coming under fire for its Maps application, Apple has decided to look for some help from former Google workers.
Apple is currently trying to woo folks who worked on Google Maps, citing a source. That source claims that many of those who were contracted to help Google with its Maps application are seriously considering joining Apple, since the company offers an opportunity to create something new, rather than deliver "tedious updates" to an already established product.
Apple launched its Maps application for iOS last week with the operating system's launch. Soon after, users started complaining that the platform couldn't quite keep up with Google Maps. The application lacks key details on prominent cities, and in one instance, an entire town was in the wrong location. Users also found duplicate islands and other odd quirks.
Due to those troubles, Apple has been forced to come out and say things will get better in Maps. However, the company hasn't said when it'll deliver updates.
It's not clear if former Google workers will want to join Apple to fix up its Maps. However, TechCrunch's source claims that many of the folks who used to work on Google Maps seem willing to join Apple, and one person who did is "now paid handsomely" by the iPhone maker. Another person was recently contacted by an Apple recruiter who offered an $85,000 salary plus moving expenses to get working on the project.
Apple has not confirmed that it's actually looking to hire Google Maps workers.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Apple and Samsung finish closing arguments, jury to decide their fate

It's just one among many, but the headlining case in the Apple v. Samsung global war is finally drawing to a close. Today, each party attempted to persuade the jury of nine one last time with their closing arguments, and with the rebuttals complete, it is time for deliberation. Starting at 9AM tomorrow morning, the jury's job is to sift through the mountains of evidence proffered by each side, decipher the verdict form provided and reach a unanimous decision on the patent and trade dress claims at issue. Will Apple emerge victorious or will Samsung's arguments carry the day? Could a hung jury and a mistrial be the result? Tune in tomorrow (and maybe the next day, and the next...) to find out.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Google Will Cut 20% of Motorola Workforce

google-motorola-600
Were you curious about what Google was going to do with Motorola?
The search giant is making its first major move since fully acquiring the company in May, which will be to cut about 20% of jobs at Motorola Mobility Holdings, or roughly 4,000 employees.
A “person familiar with the matter” told Bloomberg Businessweek that two-thirds of the cuts will be outside of the U.S. Google will also close one-third of Motorola’s facilities.
“Motorola is committed to helping them through this difficult transition and will be providing generous severance packages, as well as outplacement services to help people find new jobs,” Motorola Mobility said in an email statement.


Though the matter is still private, the unnamed source said the news will be announced within the coming weeks.
Google’s acquisition of Motorola was its largest ever takeover to date, for which it paid $12.5 billion. The relatively young search giant obtained Motorola’s steep patent portfolio, and made it a stronger competitor against other hardware manufacturers.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Apple wants $2.5B from Samsung -- and spent $1.75M to figure that out

$2.5 billion is a lot of money, and it's the low end of what Apple says Samsung should pay for selling products that look and feel like the iPhone and iPad.
But just how did Apple reach that tally?
To explain, Apple today called on Terry Musika, a certified public accountant who has been involved with more than 200 intellectual property cases, including this one between the two tech giants.
In short it's complicated.
"The calculation had to be done on a phone by phone, tablet by tablet basis," Musika said. "Each phone, each tablet, deserves or gets its own damage. That calculation had to be done on each of those products."
To add to the complexity, Apple has targeted a string of Samsung devices released at different points in time. While some of these are accused of the same things, others were only infringing on certain patents. Also, some patents were still pending, and some allegedly infringing features were added later.
All the data comes from Samsung's own sales numbers for smartphones and tablets, which was unearthed earlier this month. Musika also cross-referenced that with marketshare from both companies as tallied by research firm IDC.
When it actually came time to crunch the numbers, Musika says he formed a team of 20 people comprising of programmers, statisticians and CPAs to create a computer program. That group spent about 7,000 hours working on the tally, which cost $1.75 million.
"I can assure you, it's not me sitting at a desk with a calculator, doing calculations," Musika joked.
The end result is the $2.5 billion number, which reaches all the way up to $2.75 billion on its high-end. During his testimony Musika went through how this calculation included reductions from ineligible sales, and costs.
The damages tally is especially important given that U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh, who is presiding over the case, has the power to triple it if she rules that Samsung willfully infringed on Apple's patents. That could happen as early as next week, when both sides are scheduled to make their closing argument and the jury heads into deliberation.

Facebook Lets You Announce That You’re Expecting A Baby


detail


That Unbaby.me extension for scrubbing infants from your feed is about to get a lot more useful. Today Facebook launches a new Timeline event that lets you share that you’re expecting a baby, the due date, and whether it’s a boy or girl. Baby announcements appear in the Celebration sidebar beside birthdays on the day the kid is expected to pop out, along with showing up in the news feed. This new life event for babies is another sign that Facebook is maturing as its original user base of college kids in 2004 start hatching users who can join Facebook 13 years down the line.

You can add a baby life event by selecting the announcement from the Life Events drop down in the publisher on your Timeline.

Then on the due date it will appear in the Celebration sidebars of friends.

Today’s feature release follows the added ability to announce the date of your upcoming marriage on Facebook. And who knows, maybe the push is Zuck’s subtle way of saying him and new bride are expecting.

Microsoft: Dell, Lenovo and Samsung Windows RT machines are coming

Microsoft isn't the only OEM that will be delivering a Windows on ARM tablet/PC. Asus, Dell, Lenovo and Samsung all have Windows RT systems coming to market, too, Microsoft officials said in an August 13 blog post on the "Building Windows 8" blog.

When I asked Microsoft officials back in late June for a list of vendors making Windows RT tablets and PCs, they declined to provide one. But as I noted at that time, Asus, Toshiba and Acer had all announced plans to provide Windows RT devices. Dell was rumored to be making a Windows RT machine, as well. Last week, ABCNews reported that Lenovo would be making two versions of its IdeaPad Yoga convertible machine: One running Windows 8 and one running Windows RT.

"You will need to stay tuned for more details; PC manufacturers will be unveiling their products as we approach the Windows 8 and Windows RT launch," said Mike Angiulo, the vice president of our Ecosystem and Planning team, and author of today's blog post. (We know Microsoft is planning to have its Surface RT system available on October 26, but we do not know exact dates for the other OEMs.)

Microsoft officials also wouldn't comment on whether Windows RT had released to manufacturing (RTM'd) when Windows 8 did on August 1. But Microsoft officially is acknowledging Windows RT also has RTM'd, thanks to a mention in today's blog post.

In today's post, Microsoft also shared some rough guidelines about battery life expectations for Windows RT machines. When a Windows RT PC is not in use (on connected standby), it will not require a battery charge for days, Angiulo said. He also mentioned Windows RT machines' ability to deliver "all day battery life" on "thin and light" machines. More specifically, he said Microsoft has seen 8 hours to 13 hours of HD video playback time on Windows RT PCXs, and 320 hours to 409 hours (more than 13 to 17 days) battery life when in connected-standby mode.

Anguilo said Microsoft and partners built "thousands of reference design hardware systems" and seeded more than 1,500 Windows RT reference machines to software and hardware vendor partners to prepare for launch. He also said Microsoft has found more than 90 percent of the RTM applications in the Windows Store support Windows RT, and that there will be printers, webcams and mobile broadband modules certified for Windows RT.
Here's a photo provided by Microsoft of a prototype Windows RT system next to an actual, ready-to-ship model:
winrtpcprototypeandreal
Microsoft's new blog post also repeated some facts about the upcoming Windows RT operating system that Microsoft previously divulged, but which are worth repeating. Windows RT includes a "siginificant amount" of shared code with Windows 8, but is not identical to it. There is one Windows RT binary that supports Windows RT SoC platforms from NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments. Windows RT software will not be sold or distributed independent of a new Windows RT PC; it will be preloaded only.

Microsoft licensed design patents at issue in Apple vs Samsung, Surface lovers breathe sigh of relief

Microsoft licensed design patents at issue in Apple v Samsung, Surface lovers breathe sigh of relief
Last week, we found out about Apple's offer to license a bundle of IP -- including its iPhone and iPad design patents -- to Samsung back in 2010. Today, Reuters reports that Apple proposed a similar deal to Microsoft, and the folks in Redmond took them up on the offer. Details of the license itself are scarce, but the deal did, naturally, include an provision expressly prohibiting iDevice copies. So, for folks figuring that Microsoft might face a litigious future similar to Samsung's, think again. Looks like Ballmer and friends had the foresight to buy the rights to those rounded corners, edge-to-edge glass and black bezels on their forthcoming Surface tablets.

Samsung in Apple patent talks: Rock vs. hard place

Now we know that Apple came to Samsung to offer it a deal to license its patents, but it's not that simple. There were "untouchables."
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Whether or not you agree that Samsung copied the look and feel of Apple's products, it's now clear that Apple put the company in a difficult position when it first accused Samsung of copying.
In testimony here today, Boris Teksler, Apple's director of patent licensing and strategy, noted that while Apple initially approached the company to accuse it of copying its products and infringing on a multitude of its patents, Apple would not outright license any of those main patents to another company.
"We were clear we weren't offering a license to everything," Teksler said. "We had yet to discuss some what we termed 'untouchables,' if you will."
As Teksler explained during his testimony last week, those "untouchables" comprise a tier of patents it would not share with others -- something it considered made up its "unique user experience."
With that said, Teksler claimed that the company wanted to make a deal.
"We were trying very hard to come up with an amicable resolution with Samsung," he said. "We wanted to get properly compensated for that which was infringed, and with respect to our unique user experience. That's exactly what we were trying to do with this presentation."
Samsung's lawyers were keen to point out that Apple had not made mention of its design patents at the time it came to Apple with the presentation -- the same point it made last week. Teksler responded by saying that some of those patents were still pending at the time of the meeting, and were granted between that time and when the two companies filed suits against one another.
Of note, Teksler said that Apple's long-running cross-licensing deal with Microsoft allowed the Windows maker access to all the patents in this case, including the design patents. With that said, there are specific rules in place with that deal to keep the two sides in check so that they don't make what Teksler referred to as a "clone" product.
"There's a clear acknowledgment that there's no cloning," he said.
Samsung's turn
This week marks a turning point in the trial, with Samsung scheduled to take the reins. The trial began with Apple on the offensive, calling up a list of witnesses that included company designers, top executives, and various experts of design and marketing. Apple's main message: Samsung stole our designs, and profited off it.
Next it's Samsung's turn. The company has its own list of witnesses to help make its case, though it's already burned up more of its allotted time than Apple. Both sides get 25 hours, and at the end of last week Apple was up about 11.5 hours, with Samsung pushing beyond 12.
Unlike the two previous weeks of trial, in which court was in session three days out of five, this week goes all five days. According to U.S. District Court judge Lucy Koh, who is presiding over the case, that means the trial will wrap up by the end of this week or early next week. Both sides are expected to begin their closing arguments next Tuesday. After that, the jury gets its instructions and has time to deliberate.

Frustrated judge orders Apple, Samsung counsel to meet today

Judge Koh says she is "disappointed" in final jury-instruction discussions and orders attorneys to meet face to face.

Apple and Samsung are battling over the look and feel of their devices, as well as what the jury is told.
The federal judge presiding over the Apple-Samsung patent infringement trial has apparently grown weary of the quibbling attorneys in the case and has ordered them to meet in person today to hammer out joint jury instructions.
"The Court is disappointed by the parties' respective reports regarding their meet and confer efforts on final jury instructions," U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh said in her order today, according to the Foss Patents blog. "Lead trial counsel shall meet and confer in person today and file joint and disputed final jury instructions by Monday, August 13, 2012 at 8 a.m."
The order comes after the two companies reportedly accused each other of impeding the jury instruction process. Foss reports that an Apple filing late Friday claimed that "although [it] has tried diligently to advance the process, Samsung has stymied those efforts." Samsung reportedly responded by saying it had "agreed to more than twenty revised instructions proposed by Apple and is continuing to review Apple's remaining disputed instructions for any common ground," while Apple had "agreed to only two complete instructions drafted solely by Samsung."
Their disagreement over what the jury should be told when the companies rest their cases is just the latest courtroom row in the high-stakes trial. The two tech giants butted heads over destroyed evidence and whether the jury would hear disparaging comments the late Steve Jobs made about Android, the mobile operating system that powers Samsung devices. (Koh ultimately ruled that the jury would not hear the comments.)
Apple went so far as to ask the court to keep jurors from seeing the Samsung logo on video equipment in the court to avoid the impression among jurors that Samsung equipment and the company itself are somehow favored by the court.

Tiny transmitters that cost a penny to print unveiled


 

 .
smartphones The rectennas use smartphone radio waves to communicate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Researchers in Korea have devised a cheap way of transmitting data from objects to mobile phones when swiped.
They have printed small "rectennas", a cross between an antenna and an AC/DC current converter, onto plastic foils using electronic inks.
The rectenna uses radio waves emitted from a smartphone to transmit data to it from a tiny chip.
The printed rectennas cost less than one penny per unit to produce and could be used as an alternative to QR codes.
The technology behind them, Near Field Communication (NFC), is already used in devices that enable shoppers to make card payments by touch.
They make their debut in the journal Nanotechnology, published by the Institute of Physics (IoP) this month.
rectenna  
The rectenna is printed using five different electronic inks.
Researchers from Sunchon National University and the Paru Printed Electronics Research Institute spent four years developing the printed rectenna.
"What is great about this technique is that we can also print the digital information onto the rectenna, meaning that everything you need for wireless communication is in one place," co-author of the study Gyoujin Cho told the IoP.
"Our advantage over current technology is lower cost, since we can produce a roll-to-roll printing process with high throughput in an environmentally friendly manner.
"Furthermore, we can integrate many extra functions without huge extra cost in the printing process."
Augmented alternatives Augmented reality platforms are also providing alternatives to QR codes, although management consultancy firm Greenwich Consulting says that in America QR code usage has increased by 40% year on year.
Marketing company Adido says it is now using Aurasma, an augmented reality application based on visual recognition, rather than QR codes in its campaigns.
"There are quite a lot of limitations as to what a QR code can do - you can only make it do one thing at a time, it can only contain so much data," said Andrew Moore, business development co-ordinator.
He admitted that when presented with an augmented reality logo, people did not necessarily know what to do with it.
"With QR codes this has also been an issue but now there is a much more clear course of action. As the AR industry ages that call to action will also appear."
"What I've found is that people who do download the Augmented Reality app are proactively active in finding content that is AR-able," he said.
Fred Huet from Greenwich Consulting UK also believes that QR codes may have a shelf life.
"The QR scanning process is inherently inconvenient for the user, compared to other technologies such as Near Field Communication (NFCs)," he said. "There is a risk of being replaced in the future by more accessible alternatives."
 

Friday, August 10, 2012

Google Translate can now read images of text

The newest version of the Google Translate app can now translate text from photos, according to Android Central. The image feature works with all languages available in Translate, and allows users to highlight the text they want to convert to another language.
In the app, users take a photo of their foreign blurb of choice, and then swipe their fingers to highlight the text in the photo that needs to be translated. Google sends the image off to its servers and gives the user back the translated phrase. It can't auto-detect what language it's trying to read, however—that's your job.
The new functionality is similar to an iOS app released in December 2010 called Word Lens, which can translate text picked up by the iPhone's camera. Word Lens could display the translated text right in the viewfinder itself, but is still restricted to only three language packs for translating to and from English (Spanish, Italian, and French), each of which cost $4.99.
The new Google Translate is available now in the Google Play store for Android phones running 2.3 Gingerbread or later.

Microsoft reportedly settles on 'Windows 8' as replacement for 'Metro'

We've already heard that Microsoft was temporarily using "Windows 8-style UI" as a substitute for "Metro" now that the latter is on the outs, and it looks like may now have a permanent replacement. According to some unnamed sources speaking to ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft has decided to simply use "Windows 8" as a name for all things once known as Metro. That means "Metro-style applications" will now be known as "Windows 8 applications," and that the "Metro user interface" will now be the "Windows 8 user interface." What's more, Foley also notes that the phrase "Windows 8 apps" has already turned up on the promo page for Lenovo's new ThinkPad Tablet 2, which also indicates that the traditional Windows 8 apps will simply be known as "desktop" apps to distinguish the two. We'll keep you posted if we hear more on the change from Microsoft itself.

HP CEO Mark Hurd Was Warned About Spending $13.9 Billion On EDS

As HP writes down $8 billion from its acquisition of EDS in 2008, a certain a Wall Street analyst gets to say, "I told you so!" if he wants to.
HP's $13.9 billion purchase of EDS was then HP-CEO Mark Hurd's signature deal. On the day that he announced it, he faced analysts. (Here's a full transcript on Scribd.)
About halfway through the call, Bank of Montreal analyst Keith Bachman points out that EDS is no great catch. It had been its own "restructuring story over the last couple of years" with flat revenues and a stock that had fallen by 30% over the last 18 months.
"So clearly you are making a bet that you can perform better than how EDS has executed." Bachman said and then asked Hurd what exactly will HP be "bringing to the party"?
Hurd's answer: HP brought its good brand name to the party:
'When you combine our position, our brand, our outsourcing business, their position, their capabilities, listen, we need to go to the market and compete and be able to grow at market rates," Hurd said.
Bachman wasn't having it.
"But Mark, sorry to push back, would you agree, looking at the characteristics, I would think at a minimum this is going to slowdown HP's revenue growth," Bachman replied.
Naturally Hurd disagrees, but then he hedges -- just a little.
"If we can't turn that into an opportunity to go to the market and compete and be able to compete at roughly market rates, then I think that we would have to say we are all not going to be thrilled," he answers.
Funny thing is, now that Hurd is working for HP's competitor, Oracle, he probably is thrilled.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Pinterest Drops Invites, Now Open to Everyone

pinterest-pinboard-600
Pinterest announced Wednesday that it began open registration, dropping its invite-only approach.
Users can now sign up for the social photo sharing website without waiting for an invitation, according to Pinterest’s official blog. Now, prospective pinners can register using their email addresses, or log in with their Facebook or Twitter accounts.
“We’re really excited to have the capacity to offer Pinterest to more people and if you’re a Pinner with friends who’ve been waiting on the sidelines, we hope you’ll let them know,” the blog said.
Prior to opening up, users had to click “Request an Invite” on Pinterest.com, and enter their email address.
The California-based company announced in late July the addition of new categories, including, “Quotes,” “Tattoos” and “Weddings,” which joined old standbys, “Food and Drink,” “Architecture” and “Home Decor.” Some category names were tweaked: “Pets” became “Animals,” and “Prints and Posters” is now “Illustrations and Posters.”
Pinterest also reported that it had improved old categories, so users see less miscategorized pins as they peruse boards
The site, a virtual pinboard where members organize and share photos of their favorite things, is one of the fastest-growing social networks online. Reports suggest that Pinterest is the third-largest social network in the U.S., behind only Facebook and Twitter. It is currently looking to expand into overseas markets, such as France, Germany and Japan.
In May, Pinterest raised $100 million in a round of funding that values the company at $1.5 billion.

Lenovo 'fine' with Surface; aims ThinkPad Tablet 2 at enterprises

Despite Acer berating Microsoft for its venture into the tablet space, Lenovo said it isn't fussed by it. In response, it dished out a brand new tablet: the ThinkPad Tablet 2, aimed for business and enterprise users.
Why is Lenovo content with the Surface, while Acer cries foul? Because Acer has a lot more to lose than PC market share leader Lenovo. And Acer should be worried.

In a nutshell (you probably don't need reminding): Microsoft's Surface tablet is the software company's first venture into the tablet market. Despite its "Microsoft" branding, it's likely that Asus is building the device, which has around 7 percent of the global PC building market share, according to IDC and Gartner.
Acer, which stands in fourth place behind HP -- which will soon be overtaken by Lenovo as the world leader in PC building -- Dell and Lenovo, kicked up a storm that Microsoft's Surface will push out its existing OEM partners.
But as ZDNet editor-in-chief Larry Dignan explained, Acer's position is "laughable" at best, and remarked that the PC ecosystem "needs some disruption."
The overall global PC market is stagnant and struggling to maintain healthy levels. Jefferies analyst warned earlier this year that PC unit sales could drop by as much as 10 percent in the third-quarter. Ouch.
Lenovo is in a strong position. Its rapid growth and targeted markets are lifting the company to the pole podium position in PC manufacturing. With close to 13 million shipments in the second quarter, the remaining PC makers are quaking in their boots.
Speaking to ABC News' Joanna Stern: "Microsoft is a strategic partner for us. The Surface has brought more excitement to the marketplace. The ThinkPad tablet is focused after the business individual; the Surface is more geared towards the consumer offering," said Dilip Bhatia, vice-president for Lenovo's ThinkPad business division.
(ZDNet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has more on the technical specs, and James Kendrick has the product image line-up. With the announcement comes two new ultrabooks -- ready for the enterprise.)
Of course, Lenovo isn't even remotely bothered by the Surface tablet; it's too high up in the chain for Microsoft to come close to touching it. Plus, the firm is working with Microsoft to get Windows 8 on the tablet in the first place.
Acer, further down the line, will see Surface as a direct competitor. It's a tale of two fronts: Microsoft is trying to get its software on as many tablets as it can, while OEMs like Acer and Lenovo want to sell as many tablets as they can, irrespective of software.
The trouble is, the operating system alone will sway the decision in what the business consumer wants.
Microsoft will likely see a similar market share figure to its Windows Phone platform: high enough to be in the top five manufacturers, but eclipsed in numbers by its competitors. Microsoft will will likely see a bump in Windows 8 on tablet shipments, and Lenovo will help with this -- just as Samsung helps Google in operating system market share by using Android, and vice-versa.
Microsoft is right to shake up the PC ecosystem. It's what it relies on. Surface isn't a threat to the PC ecosystem at all; it's a cleverly designed disruptor.

Facebook's Director of Engineering explains how you're part of the dev team

Ever wondered why those crazy fools at Facebook think it's a good idea to meddle with the timeline, or how you chat? Well you can blame yourself. Probably. The social network's Director of Engineering, Andrew "Boz" Bosworth, reveals all in a recent blog post. By first explaining that the site evolves in a two-step process, "technology pushes people to move forward and then people move past technology and it has to catch up," we can start to understand why constant user testing of new, often multiple, solutions is required. Boz goes on to explain that by using select groups, or even nations, the efficacy new features can not only be quickly, and solidly determined, it can actually supplant the need for weeks of boardroom debate. He goes on to say that the odds are that everyone on Facebook has been part of a test at some point. Curious to know more about the process, or just feeling a little bit used? Head over to the source link for the full post / comment thread.

Samsung patents perfume-packing cellphone... again

Samsung patents perfume-packing cell phone... again
Seriously, Samsung, what the heck is with the scented cellphone patents? This isn't the first, or even the second time you've thought to put pockets of perfume in a handset. This latest patent is slightly different from earlier concepts, we suppose. We see this one has a scent refilling station built into the charging dock. So, when you set the phone down to charge the battery, it also "charges" the aromatic sponge in the body. It's also notable that this isn't a passive scented strip or a spraying mechanism. Instead the "absorbant material" is heated, either by the battery directly or by circuitry triggered as part of an alert. So, every time your hippy buddy calls, your phone could blast Phish and fill the air with the scent of patchouli (or, something else...).

Oops! Facebook Admits One Of Its Algorithms Was Wrong; Restates A Revenue Breakdown

Facebook, in its first ever 10-Q filing with the SEC, admitted one of the algorithms it uses to calculate the average revenue per user in its largest market, the U.S. and Canada, was wrong.
The 10-Q restates the revenue breakdown and adjusts some of the numbers and columns in its reporting of revenues (most of which comes from ads) by geography.
Here's what Facebook said:
In June 2012, we discovered an error in the algorithm we used to estimate the geographic location of our users that affected our attribution of certain user locations for the first quarter of 2012. The first quarter of 2012 ARPU amount for the United States & Canada region below reflects an adjustment based on the reclassification to more correctly attribute users by geographic region.
Here are the two charts affected by the change (and apologies for the image quality). We've highlighted the restated sections in red. First, the Q2 2012 chart, on which revenue per user in North America is $2.90:
Facebook error
SEC
Now here's the old chart from Q1, where revenue per user was incorrectly listed as $2.86:
facebook error
SEC
In all, it's not a huge error and it doesn't affect Facebook's top or bottom lines. But it is interesting to know that Facebook's accounting isn't completely perfect.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Google Search To Integrate Gmail, Launching Google Now-Like App for iOS


Google has announced that a new “field trial” of Gmail results within Google Search results, a Google Now-like app for the iPhone and the iPad is coming in a few days and the Knowledge Graph is going worldwide for English searchers.
The news came at a special press breakfast today. We’ll have individual articles on each of these items. Here are some now:]
  • New: Gmail Results Embedded In Google Search Results
  • Google’s Knowledge Graph Now Worldwide & Adds Carousel
My live blogging of the event is below:
I’m here at Google San Francisco, where an array of press and bloggers (about 25 of us) have been called together with only a few days notice to get an update on what’s new with Google Search. Big news to come? We’ll see. I’ll be live blogging what happens.
Google does these search events from time-to-time. Sometimes there really is no big news but only a few features combined into one event to help the company get an oomph out of search whenever it feels the need. I heard one rumor about what might come, so I am kind of expecting at least one major announcement.
Everyone is here involved with Google search. All the senior people, as well as very senior corporate communication folks. And donuts with chocolate dipping sauce. Mmm.
Anyway, it’ll all get going probably around 9:45am PT. Watch this space.
OK, Amit Singhal is up, head of Google search and welcoming us. Everyone asks him what’s new in search. He’s now explaining by telling us about how he watched Star Trek and wanted to be Captain Kirk. “The destiny of search…” is to be like the Star Trek computer. Always by your side, answering things.
First challenge is that you have to get all of the information online. So far, seen 30 trillion URLs online and on an average day crawl over 20 billion of those and Google answers 100 billion searches per month. By the way, Google hasn’t given out a number of searches they handle per month figure for ages, that I’ve seen. So nice news nugget there.
Now talking about the Knowledge Graph with 5 million things and 3.5 billion connection between those objects, it’s still a “baby step” in understanding the world of ideas the way we understand the real world.
Next step in improving search is making it universally accessible. And beyond that, to get the search of the future, need to solve incredibly hard problems like speech recognition. “And the truth is, we will have to build artificial intelligents. We’re not there yet.”
Says Google’s done a lot of baby steps that add up and brings up Shashi Takur, technical lead for the Knowledge Graph, to talk more about that.
What would it take to make a Star Trek-like computer? You need to understand real things, which means having a model of connections. Google’s Knowledge Graph is the largest collection of connections like that, and it’s still a baby step.
By the way, Google Launches Knowledge Graph To Provide Answers, Not Just Links, is our past article about what the Knowledge Graph is.
He’s doing a search for Rio and how it could be interpreted in various ways. But if you search for Rio 2011, the movie Rio shows in the Knowledge Graph in the box. One reason they can predict this is by seeing how people search and what they click on.
Now searching for Anne Hathaway. He’s saying something, but I’ll I see is Anne Hathaway in Batman. She was so good. Les Mis will be awesome, too.
It’s hard to make predictions because the same word can mean different things. Cookies in the US are called biscuits in India, and biscuits mean different things in the US. Oh, how I’ve lived that. Same issue in Britain. Ask for a biscuit, you ain’t getting a biscuit.
Now searching for “chiefs” and how there are different teams in different sports that it could be relevant to. See, this stuff is hard.
First news: tomorrow, the Knowledge Graph will expand to be worldwide, if you’re searching in English.
Jack Menzel, director of product management for the Knowledge Graph is now up. Telling how his friend wants to go to an amusement park, to Cedar Point. But it’s so far away, Jack says. But his friend says, do your research — best rollercoasters in the world.
So now doing a search for Cedar Point on Google. And he could search for each ride, but that’s time consuming. But if you search for Cedar Point, the Knowledge Graph shows a collection of rides right there. “Imagine if Google could help with this” and he shows a “knowledge carousel” that lets you flip through:

Now says his wife likes lighthouses and shows some examples of using the carousel:

Don Draper is off in the corner, ready to take over the carousel pitch and related it to memories in a moment. No news that I caught on when we get the carousel or if it’s live yet.
Now Sagar Kamdar, director of product management for universal search comes up. And he gets to the rumor I heard. There’s going to be a “field trial” of Gmail integrated into Google search. So you can search and find matches from your email in your own search results.
Demo time. He’s got a search for amazon up and talking about how he doesn’t like to shop. But his daughter wants a wagon. Does a search that brings up Gmail results on the right side, info collapsed so you can’t see it all, but apparently stuff relating to his order appears.
Some quick snaps:


Got a flight coming up? Google’s got the smarts to parse your confirmation email so a search for “my flights” will display the results:

OK, want to sign-up? You can apply here.
Scott Huffman now up, engineering director of mobile. He’s talking the challenges of understanding natural language when spoken and relating it to real world information.
Now showing latest version of Google Search for iPad and iPhone with voice-based searching. Screenshots coming, but basically, hey, it’s Siri with pictures and video (speak play the Spider-Man theme song, there it launches playing off YouTube). Or speak how much you want to add, say 2+2, and you get the answers with a calculator.


The app will be in the Apple App Store within a few days, he says.

Court Decides Warrantless Wiretapping Is OK

A US federal appeals court has given the green light for warrantless wiretapping. That means federal government can now spy on communications between America citizens without any warrants—and without fear of being sued, either.
The ruling came Tuesday, Wired reports, in the process reversing the original ruling from the first and only case to successfully challenge the Terrorist Surveillance Program. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals wrote:
"This case effectively brings to an end the plaintiffs' ongoing attempts to hold the executive branch responsible for intercepting telephone conversations without judicial authorization."
The case centered around two American attorneys who struggled—but managed—to prove they were spied on without warrants. The court ruled that the pair could "bring a suit for damages against the United States for use of the collected information" but are unable to "bring suit against the government for collection of the information itself." Speaking to Wired, Jon Eisenberg, the lawyer working on behalf of the two attorneys, explained:
"This case was the only chance to litigate and hold anybody accountable for the warrantless wiretapping program. As illegal as it was, it evaded accountability."
All of which means that, from today, federal government can happily spy on anybody's communications without warrants or fear of the consequences.

Apple seizes on Samsung internal document as proof of mimicry

Apple seizes on Samsung internal memo as proof of mimickry
As much as Apple would love for Kwon Oh-hyun to turn up at court and tearfully confess to being a copycat, that's probably not going to happen. Instead, Cupertino's lawyers are burrowing through Samsung's history in search of a legal smoking gun, and one of their latest submissions has been presented as just that. It's a 132-page document written in 2010 by Sammy engineers that directly compares the iPhone against the Galaxy S and makes recommendations about how the latter should be more like the former. The excerpt shown above, which focuses on the aesthetics of icons on the rival handsets, even appears to contain advice about how Samsung should copy Apple without appearing to copy them so much, whereas the full document embedded after the break reveals how all-encompassing the internal guidance was. On the flip-side, Samsung may well argue that any responsible company should compare itself to its competition in this manner, and you can bet there's an army of lawyers beavering away right now to make that sound convincing.