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Microsoft releases India's requests for user data

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 29 September 2013 | 21.43

NW DELHI: India made 321 user data requests between January to June this year to software giant Microsoft (including Skype), which disclosed subscriber/transactional data for nearly 80% of those requests.

For entire 2012 calendar year, Microsoft including Skype had received 471 user data requests from India.

Microsoft's second law enforcement request report details the number of requests for data it received from law enforcement agencies globally and how it responded to them.

They also cover requests for data relating to all of Microsoft's online and cloud services.

The latest report reveals that India made 278 requests (excluding Skype) for user data affecting 413 accounts between January-June 2013.

The firm revealed only subscriber/transactional data for 80.6% of these requests, while in 16.2% cases no data was found. It rejected 3.2% of the requests made by India.

For Skype -- which allows users to make voice calls over the internet -- India made 43 user data requests affecting 102 accounts during the first six months of this calendar year.

Microsoft said it provided only subscriber/transactional data for 79.1% of these requests. The company rejected 18.6% of the total requests made while no data was found for 2.3% of Skype-related requests.

Globally, Microsoft (including Skype) received 37,196 requests from law enforcement agencies impacting 66,539 accounts in January-June 2013 compared to 75,378 requests and 137,424 potential accounts in the whole of 2012.

"While we see requests from a large number of countries, when you look at the overall number, the requests are fairly concentrated with over 73% of requests coming from five countries, the US, Turkey, Germany, the UK, and France," it said.

For Skype, the requests were similarly concentrated the US, the UK, France and Germany, accounting for over 70 per cent of requests, Microsoft added.

The report comes close on the heels of technology firms coming under pressure following revelations of a secret US Government programme which scoops up data from internet firms.

Technology firms, including Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter and Google, have been releasing information on government data requests in the belief that it would help in reassuring their customers.


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Microsoft discloses data requests from Indian govt

NW DELHI: India made 321 user data requests between January to June this year to software giant Microsoft (including Skype), which disclosed subscriber/transactional data for nearly 80% of those requests.

For entire 2012 calendar year, Microsoft including Skype had received 471 user data requests from India.

Microsoft's second law enforcement request report details the number of requests for data it received from law enforcement agencies globally and how it responded to them.

They also cover requests for data relating to all of Microsoft's online and cloud services.

The latest report reveals that India made 278 requests (excluding Skype) for user data affecting 413 accounts between January-June 2013.

The firm revealed only subscriber/transactional data for 80.6% of these requests, while in 16.2% cases no data was found. It rejected 3.2% of the requests made by India.

For Skype -- which allows users to make voice calls over the internet -- India made 43 user data requests affecting 102 accounts during the first six months of this calendar year.

Microsoft said it provided only subscriber/transactional data for 79.1% of these requests. The company rejected 18.6% of the total requests made while no data was found for 2.3% of Skype-related requests.

Globally, Microsoft (including Skype) received 37,196 requests from law enforcement agencies impacting 66,539 accounts in January-June 2013 compared to 75,378 requests and 137,424 potential accounts in the whole of 2012.

"While we see requests from a large number of countries, when you look at the overall number, the requests are fairly concentrated with over 73% of requests coming from five countries, the US, Turkey, Germany, the UK, and France," it said.

For Skype, the requests were similarly concentrated the US, the UK, France and Germany, accounting for over 70 per cent of requests, Microsoft added.

The report comes close on the heels of technology firms coming under pressure following revelations of a secret US Government programme which scoops up data from internet firms.

Technology firms, including Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter and Google, have been releasing information on government data requests in the belief that it would help in reassuring their customers.


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Asian apps WeChat, Line move to conquer Europe

Move aside Facebook and Skype. Asian social networks, already hugely popular on their continent, have set their sights on Europe where they could prove stiff competition for their US rivals.

China's WeChat and Japan's Line, which let users make free calls, send instant messages and post funny short videos and photos, take attributes from Facebook, Skype and messaging application WhatsApp and roll them all together.

This week, Line executives travelled to France and Italy for a public relations offensive aimed at raising awareness of the mobile app, which already counts some 230 million users around the world including 47 million in Japan alone.

The social network has already taken root in other parts of Europe. In Spain, for instance, Line has forged heavyweight partnerships with football clubs FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, brands such as Coca-Cola or tennis star Rafael Nadal.

FC Barcelona, for instance, has a home page on the app where it posts photos that has already drawn more than 8.2 million friends.

Line even has a permanent office in Spain, where it counts some 15 million users already.

A French version of the mobile app, meanwhile, is to be launched before the end of the year.

One of the main selling points for Line, which was launched at the beginning of 2011, is its "stickers" -- funny, cartoon-like figures that express emotions in a way deemed far more original and fun than traditional emoticons.

On WeChat, users can post figures that move about dancing, blowing kisses or punching the air. Both social networks also supply a selection of "stickers" that users have to pay for.

"We're betting a lot on this new form of communication with stickers," Sunny Kim, assistant director general of Line Europe and America, told AFP on a trip to Paris.

This part of the business represents 30% of Line's overall turnover and in July alone, users bought eight million euros ($10.8 million) worth of stickers.

The company makes the rest of its money on the sale of games integrated in the mobile app (50 percent) and from partnerships and products on the side.

Line's logo is green with a conversation bubble inside, and looks remarkably similar to the icon of WeChat, which began in January 2011.

Already translated into 19 languages, the social network has 500 million users, including 100 million outside of China, and plans to launch in France towards the end of the year.

While Line has Real Madrid, WeChat has enrolled the help of Argentinian football star Lionel Messi, who has become ambassador of the brand and has filmed a commercial for the social network.

But WeChat -- which belongs to China's web giant Tencent -- is also banking on the huge Chinese diaspora to expand.

"The French of Chinese origin or the Canadians of Chinese origin, for instance, are the bridge between China and the rest of the world," said Renaud Edouard-Baraud, who heads up an Asia consulting branch of the BNP-Paribas bank and advises WeChat.

Many brands keen to tap into the giant China market also have a presence on WeChat.

Companies can for instance use geolocalisation to pinpoint the exact location of Chinese users when they are visiting Europe, and send them promotional offers to lure them into their shops.


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'Unsolicited emails account for 67% of all emails in Aug'

PUNE: In August, unsolicited emails made up 67.6% of all global email traffic, according to Kaspersky Lab figures, which is 3.6% points lower than in July.

If that change is linked to the summer vacation season, then it was the most innocuous spammers that left town: the rate of phishing messages rose more than 10 times compared to July, while the volume of spam messages containing malicious attachments rose 2.5 times, accounting for 5.6% of all email traffic.

The vacation season may have been winding down, but cybercriminals kept up a continuous bombardment of fake messages announcing non-existent airline and hotel reservations, with the spammers using some of the biggest names in these industries.

The fact that such messages often look genuine can relax the recipient's vigilance. They usually prompt the user to open a malicious attachment or follow a link that initiates a file download to the hard drive. In either case, the victim computer is infected with the Tepfer Trojan that steals user credentials.

August also saw a tenfold increase in the proportion of phishing messages. Kaspersky Lab reported mass mailings that appeared to come from an official Apple address that asked recipients to con-firm their iTunes account details by following a link. The favourite target of phishing attacks, however, remains social networks.

The names of popular international delivery services also appear frequently in spam messages. These emails inform potential victims that a parcel cannot be delivered to them for some reason and that in order to collect it they have to print out the file attached to the message and then visit the company's office or confirm specific data. In some cases the attached files supposedly contain information about the non-existent parcels.

Spammers try to make these messages look as genuine as possible, using seemingly legitimate email addresses, providing detailed information about the order, genuine contact data from official sites and copying the relevant confidentiality notifications.


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67% of all emails in August were unsolicited: Kaspersky

PUNE: In August, unsolicited emails made up 67.6% of all global email traffic, according to Kaspersky Lab figures, which is 3.6% points lower than in July.

If that change is linked to the summer vacation season, then it was the most innocuous spammers that left town: the rate of phishing messages rose more than 10 times compared to July, while the volume of spam messages containing malicious attachments rose 2.5 times, accounting for 5.6% of all email traffic.

The vacation season may have been winding down, but cybercriminals kept up a continuous bombardment of fake messages announcing non-existent airline and hotel reservations, with the spammers using some of the biggest names in these industries.

The fact that such messages often look genuine can relax the recipient's vigilance. They usually prompt the user to open a malicious attachment or follow a link that initiates a file download to the hard drive. In either case, the victim computer is infected with the Tepfer Trojan that steals user credentials.

August also saw a tenfold increase in the proportion of phishing messages. Kaspersky Lab reported mass mailings that appeared to come from an official Apple address that asked recipients to con-firm their iTunes account details by following a link. The favourite target of phishing attacks, however, remains social networks.

The names of popular international delivery services also appear frequently in spam messages. These emails inform potential victims that a parcel cannot be delivered to them for some reason and that in order to collect it they have to print out the file attached to the message and then visit the company's office or confirm specific data. In some cases the attached files supposedly contain information about the non-existent parcels.

Spammers try to make these messages look as genuine as possible, using seemingly legitimate email addresses, providing detailed information about the order, genuine contact data from official sites and copying the relevant confidentiality notifications.


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HTC to exit shareholding in Beats Electronics

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 28 September 2013 | 21.43

Taiwan's leading smartphone maker HTC said it has agreed to sell its remaining 24.84% stake in US headphone maker Beats Electronics LLC back to the firm for $265 million.

HTC said in a statement to the Taiwan Stock Exchange that the deal will close by the fourth quarter of 2013, adding that Beats will remain an important partner to the company.

HTC announced in 2011 that it paid about $309 million for a 51% stake in the firm, which produces high-end headphones and is run by US hip hop producer Dr Dre, but sold half of that back for around $150 million a year later.

The news came as Beats aims to broaden its business from headphones to include speakers, car audio systems, consumer electronics, and a soon-to-be-launched online streaming music service.

Beats is the brainchild of music mogul Jimmy Iovine and Dr Dre, a globally successful rapper and producer who has worked with some of the biggest names in music, including Eminem, Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake.


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91-year-old geek helps keep elderly independent

Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are finding their next big idea in the elderly capital of America. While the world's biggest firms have struggled to develop products targeted at older consumers, a group led by former Apple, Microsoft and eBay employees have unveiled Lively.

The system of tiny sensors helps the elderly maintain their independence, letting farflung relatives know whether they take their pills on time or exit the house. Lively marks the first result of an effort by Sarasota, Florida -- which boasts the highest concentration of elderly people of any large US county -- to transform the region into a test market for companies eager to tap into the $8 trillion buying power of seniors.

The Institute for the Ages, a Sarasota nonprofit, played a key role in Lively's creation, connecting the San Francisco-based company with residents who provided feedback to improve its product. They included Bill Tavolga, a 91-year-old self-described tech geek who helped Lively's developers find bugs in the system . The outcome was a tool that helps shrink the 350-mile (560-kilometer ) distance between Phyllis Bek-gran , 89, and her son by letting him know when she doesn't pick up her TV remote.

With the massive baby boom generation beginning to move into the ranks of the elderly, companies are trying to front-run the trend by figuring out the next hot products for seniors. So far their search has remained largely unfulfilled because of a marketing conundrum : Graying boomers, even more than previous generations, don't want to be identified as elderly.

The idea for the Institute for the Ages emerged after Scope, a nonprofit community group whose name stands for Sarasota County Openly Plans for Excellence, sought advice from hundreds of residents on the topic of aging in 2008. Tavolga, a former marine biologist, wasn't shy about pointing out the system's flaws.

"I added a sensor on the front door," Tavolga wrote to Glickman in a Feb. 26 e-mail . "Works OK, but I cannot change the name from 'Custom #4." Three days later: "OK I found out why the label change would not take. It would not accept 'Front Door' as two words." Sensors throughout Tavolga's home often failed.

"The Medication sensor is still red-face" online, which indicates inactivity , he wrote. "This time I took my pills before 7 a.m." On March 26, he noted that it needed to be "strongly shaken" in order to register."It was fun; for one thing, I'm a computer geek," recalled Tavolga, who e-mails his "sweetheart" every morning from a Samsung tablet, reads books on a Kindle and updates the online music archives of a local library twice a week.


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Intel announces significant investment in Google Glass rival

WASHINGTON: Intel has reportedly announced a significant investment in Google Glass rival Recon Instruments, in a bid to enter the wearable computing market.

Intel said that the investment will help fund Recon's product development, marketing and global sales expansion and will also benefit from Canadian firm's expertise in manufacturing, operations and technology.

General Manager of New Devices Group at Intel, Mike Bell said that Recon Instruments shows compelling technology and a solid strategy to capitalize on the wearable revolution, CNet reports.

As the wearable computing industry is growing rapidly with companies like Apple and Google developing smart gadgets, Intel needs to keep pace with rival ARM, which is the de facto standard for silicon in small devices.

According to the report, Recon Instruments is a leader in heads-up displays for sports, including products like the Reconjet and has shipped more than 50,000 heads-up displays worldwide, including a successful campaign in Apple retail stores.

The terms or amount of the investment have not been released by any of the companies.


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Intel invests in Google Glass rival

WASHINGTON: Intel has reportedly announced a significant investment in Google Glass rival Recon Instruments, in a bid to enter the wearable computing market.

Intel said that the investment will help fund Recon's product development, marketing and global sales expansion and will also benefit from Canadian firm's expertise in manufacturing, operations and technology.

General Manager of New Devices Group at Intel, Mike Bell said that Recon Instruments shows compelling technology and a solid strategy to capitalize on the wearable revolution, CNet reports.

As the wearable computing industry is growing rapidly with companies like Apple and Google developing smart gadgets, Intel needs to keep pace with rival ARM, which is the de facto standard for silicon in small devices.

According to the report, Recon Instruments is a leader in heads-up displays for sports, including products like the Reconjet and has shipped more than 50,000 heads-up displays worldwide, including a successful campaign in Apple retail stores.

The terms or amount of the investment have not been released by any of the companies.


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Retailers dial into Skype for wedding saree sales

CHENNAI: Are you looking forward to join the wedding shopping jamboree of a cousin or relative? Hold your excitement. For all you know, she may have finished her shopping on Skype and all you get to do is be part of the conference call.
From organising Skype conference calls to emailing high resolution photos of wedding Kancheepuram silks to the entire extended family, silk saree retailers are going the extra mile to please their tech savvy customers.
While other cotton sarees and casual sarees have been popular on e-commerce sites, heavy Kancheepuram wedding silks were always preferred to be physically examined, scrutinized and draped before buying. But over the last year, silk saree retailers say they have seen a sharp increase in online sale of wedding silks. Retailers like Nalli, RmKV and Sri Palam Silks have ramped up their websites, offering an extensive range of sarees.
"I recently had an NRI customer who did all of her family's wedding shopping online and on Skype for about Rs 2 lakh," said K Sivakumar , MD, RmKV Silks. The company has over 3,000 sarees on its website and a lot of NRI customers buy them from the site. "But not all stores have the same sarees, and not all can be posted online. In cases where the buyer wants to see similar sarees in other outlets, we connect with them on Skype and show them the designs they can choose from," he said.
Garment retailer Pothys too, which has been selling its products online for years now, allows customers to use video call services inside the store, says S Ramesh, managing director , Pothys.
Sri Palam Silks, the brainchild of Jeyasree Ravi, who belongs to the Nalli family, too has noticed this trend, with one of her customers buying her entire wedding collection online. The store has been selling its products on its website for a year now, but has noticed an increase in online silk saree sales, and is putting in a lot of effort to assist customers who shop online. "When it comes to silks, the photograph of a saree can be very different from the original color. There could be a 20% difference. So we share this with our customers and also send in high resolution pictures of sarees they can choose from," said Ravi. Also, considering that wedding shopping is usually a family affair, the retailer also makes the effort to mail the pictures to the entire family so they can collaboratively decide, she said.
With so many customers willing to shop online , the market is huge, retailers say. "But it takes a lot of effort. The time we spend with customers who shop online is more than that we do with them in the store. Having large scale operations online is as good as managing a different branch of the store," Ravi says. She is, however, counting on her young daughter Sunitha to grow this business.
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China to test 5G technology by 2020

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 27 September 2013 | 21.43

BEIJING: China is reportedly working on developing 5G technology after the wide acceptance of predecessor 3G and 4G getting equally greater response.

The secretary general of Telecommunication Development Industry Alliance (TDTA), Yang Hua said that they have started research and development on the 5G network and are planning to launch the network testing around 2020.

Director of Dept.of Science & Tech, MIIT, Wen Ku said that a unified standard for the technology when adopted globally, will allow different enterprises to be connected and form a competitive environment.

Wen further said that with such adoption, enterprises can gain reasonable profits and provide faster, better, more convenient and cheaper services to consumers.

According to China Daily, as the country prepares to hand out 4G licenses, smartphone manufacturers are working on new 4G products.


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Watsa's role in deciding Heins pay draws scrutiny

TORONTO: Months before Fairfax Financial Holdings bid $4.7 billion for BlackBerry, Fairfax boss Prem Watsa played a role in securing a golden parachute worth as much as $55 million for the smartphone maker's chief executive, according to company filings.

Watsa, Fairfax's chief executive, joined BlackBerry's board in January 2012 and was one of three directors charged in March with reviewing the compensation of the Canadian company's chief executive, Thorsten Heins.

The three directors - Watsa, BlackBerry Chairwoman Barbara Stymiest and long-time board member John Wetmore - decided to boost Heins' basic salary and incentive bonus, as well as sharply increase the size of the equity awards that he would receive if he loses his job in the event of a takeover.

The new contract that Heins signed in May tripled his compensation to an estimated $55.6 million if there is a change of control at BlackBerry, up from $18.9 million previously, according to a securities filing on May 21.

To be sure, the $55.6 million figure is based in part on BlackBerry's share price in early March, and the stock has fallen by more than a third since then, which may mean that Heins' parachute would be worth less.

Still, Watsa's role in deciding Heins' compensation is drawing scrutiny from some pay experts after BlackBerry on Monday accepted a conditional buyout bid from a consortium led by Fairfax, a property and casualty insurer that owns almost 10% of the smartphone maker.

"(Watsa) was part of the committee that was negotiating this agreement. Did he anticipate that he would make some sort of offer to buy the company? I feel like that's unlikely, but it's impossible to know," said Joe Sorrentino, managing director at executive pay advisors Steven Hall & Partners in New York.

Sorrentino added, "The only concern I would have is since they structured his compensation equity award so that it all is granted at the beginning ... it is all getting captured in a change of control golden parachute, as opposed to if they did a more typical process" of granting equity awards annually.

When asked for comment on Thursday, a Fairfax spokesman said Heins' compensation was reviewed and approved by the entire BlackBerry board.

Watsa stepped down from the board in August, citing a potential conflict of interest after BlackBerry announced a strategic review and sought a buyer. The Fairfax-led consortium aims to take BlackBerry private and give it time to rebuild away from Wall Street's gaze.

A spokeswoman for BlackBerry said the company had no comment on Watsa's role or Heins' compensation, and Heins himself did not respond to a direct request for comment.

Towers Watson, the human resources consultancy firm that worked with BlackBerry's board on the compensation package, also declined to comment on Thursday.

BlackBerry is not the first company in the spotlight for large payments for outgoing executives. Nokia's departing chief executive, Stephen Elop, stands to pocket 18.8 million euros ($25 million) if shareholders agree to sell Nokia's handset business to Microsoft. Elop is set to rejoin Microsoft, his former employer.

Stock down more than 50%
Heins was appointed BlackBerry CEO in early 2012, taking over from former co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie. In the months before they stepped down, Lazaridis and Balsillie had cut their base salary to $1, a symbolic gesture that they would not draw fat cheques while the company was obviously suffering.

Heins' compensation has increased from $1.9 million in fiscal 2011, when he was chief operating officer, to $10.3 million in fiscal 2012 when he was appointed CEO, before slipping back slightly to $9.1 million in fiscal 2013, which ended on March 2 this year.

Since Heins took over, BlackBerry shares have fallen more than 50% as the company delayed the release of its first BlackBerry 10 devices and they then failed to excite sales.

In May, Heins signed a new contract that raised his base salary to $1.5 million from $1 million; bumped his maximum incentive bonus to 150% of salary from 125% and granted him more than $34 million in front-loaded equity awards that vest over three years.

It is those equity awards that provide the bulk of the enlarged payout if BlackBerry is taken over - the shares would vest immediately instead of over a three-year period.

According to company filings, if Heins is terminated due to a change of ownership of BlackBerry, he'll receive $3 million to reflect his base salary, annual incentives worth about $4.5 million, and equity awards of $48 million.

The board said the higher payouts were justified to retain Heins and ensure his interests are aligned with those of shareholders, and to reward the executive for leading BlackBerry through a period of massive upheaval.

"The necessary speed and scope of this transformation, as well as its critical importance to the future success of the company, demand leadership of exceptional skill, agility and vision," BlackBerry said ahead of its July annual general meeting, when shareholders approved the changes.

The filings show that BlackBerry's board also gave Heins a "special achievement bonus" of $3 million for launching the BlackBerry 10 platform used for its latest smartphones, and for maintaining cash and liquidity above $1.5 billion.

Last week, the company said it would book almost $1 billion in writedowns, mostly on unsold BlackBerry 10 devices, when it reports second-quarter results on Friday.


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Twitter improves photo experience

NEW DELHI: Twitter has announced what it says is "a big improvement to all embedded Tweets with photos." With the changes announced, the microblogging site seems to be putting more focus on the photos shared in embedded tweets.

The embedded tweets now put the photo in front and center, with a bigger and bold visual focus on the media. The redesign applies to both landscape and portrait photos.

Also, according to the company blog, "You can click on the photo to see more about what's happening and discover the conversation and behind the Tweet. If you're new to seeing Tweets embedded on your favorite websites, keep in mind that you can interact with them just as you can in any Twitter app: Click the reply icon to join the conversation, retweet to share, and favorite to show your appreciation. And as always, you can click the follow button to get the photographer's Tweets in your home timeline."

So Tweeple, time to capture what you see on Twitter.


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'Ford CEO leading race to head Microsoft'

NEW DELHI: Ford CEO Alan Mulally has reportedly emerged as the lead candidate for the top seat at Microsoft.

Technology website AllThingsD said that Mulally has vaulted to the forefront of the candidates being considered to replace retiring Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer.

Earlier, there were reports that at least three of the top 20 investors in Microsoft want a turnaround expert to succeed Ballmer and have urged the technology giant's board to consider Ford Motor CEO Alan Mulally and Computer Sciences Corp CEO Mike Lawrie for the job.

Investors are keen on Mulally and Lawrie as both have histories of successfully turning around companies.

Under a succession plan at Ford outlined last November, Mulally, 68, is expected to stay on as CEO until at least the end of 2014. However, according to reports, Mulally may step down sooner than planned if he gets an interesting offer.

Microsoft recently inked a deal to buy Nokia's phone business. The deal also brings Stephen Elop, who ran Microsoft's business software division before jumping the ship in 2010, back to the company. Elop too is said to be among the list of contenders to succeed Ballmer.


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BlackBerry reports $965 million loss in Q2

TORONTO: BlackBerry says it is committed to completing a series of major changes quickly after posting a nearly billion-dollar loss and a 45% drop in revenue for the second quarter.

The troubled smartphone company reported a loss of $965 million and revenue of $1.6 billion, in line with what it warned when it surprised the market by preleasing dismal earnings projections last week and announcing 4,500 layoffs.

The company posted revenue of $2.9 billion in the second quarter last year.

The adjusted loss was $248 million or $0.47 per share this quarter. That's far below the loss of 16 cents per share projected by Wall Street last week.

Fairfax, BlackBerry's largest shareholder, subsequently announced it plans to make an offer for BlackBerry and is trying to attract other investors. BlackBerry cancelled its conference call with analysts Friday in light of that overture


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India shines in Facebook’s global friendships map

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 26 September 2013 | 21.43

LONDON: Facebook's recently released global friendships map shows India among the 'densest use' countries where the social networking site is accessed the most to form friendships across the world.

The new map shows Facebook's global reach now impacting India, Africa and South America.

The original version of the map, which was released three years ago, shows most of the world illuminated by transcontinental friendships, with oceans dominated by blue arcs of light, metro.co.uk reports.

According to the report, China is shown dark, because of the site being banned in the country, while countries like Russia, where homegrown networks are favoured, are also less bright.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg set the map as his cover photo and captioned it as the 'map of all the friendships formed on Facebook across the world'.

The report said that visualisation was the brainchild of former intern Paul Butler, who revealed that is not just a pretty picture, it's a reaffirmation of the impact Facebook has in connecting people, even across oceans and borders.


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eBay to buy payments company Braintree

NEW YORK: PayPal parent eBay says it is buying online and mobile payments technology provider Braintree for $800 million in cash.

Braintree's payments technology is used by popular start-ups such as vacation rentals site Airbnb, cab-hailing app Uber and restaurant reservations site OpenTable.

The move comes as eBay's PayPal unit works to evolve from its roots as an online payments provider, expanding its offline, mobile and online offerings to stores, restaurants and other business.

San Jose, California-based eBay says that it will operate Braintree as a separate business. Bill Ready, the CEO of the Chicago-based company, will report to PayPal President David Marcus.

Braintree's roughly 200 employees are staying with the Chicago-based company.

EBay says it expects to close the deal before the end of the year.


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Nokia Lumia 1020: First impressions

NEW DELHI: Nokia has unveiled the Lumia 1020 smartphone in India though it is yet to announce the price tag. The manufacturer showed off many of the camera features and technologies that go into the phone at a media event on Thursday, but refused to divulge the price. While potential customers will be able to buy the smartphone on October 11, we got to spend some time with it at the event. Here are our first impressions of the Nokia Lumia 1020:

The latest top-end Lumia phone in India has a 41MP camera at the back. While its megapixel count is huge, the design is not as absurd as that of Galaxy S4 zoom (16MP rear camera). However, the phone's design does not have the understated elegance of Sony Xperia Z1 (20.7MP camera). At 158gram, Nokia Lumia 1020 is still heavy and you can feel the weight in your hands as soon as you hold it.

The Nokia device has a big bump off the back, where the camera sensor is located, but despite the odd design, this phone looks good. Moreover, the positioning of the bump is such that you are unlikely to encounter any problems while working with the Lumia 1020 with one hand. It looks similar to last year's Lumia 920 rather than the newer Lumia 925, with edges on top and curves on the sides.

But let's go straight to the most exciting part of Lumia 1020 - the 41MP camera. It has all the makings of a great snapper, from high-end PureView image processing technology to terrific zooming (for a smartphone). Its backlit sensor design allows the camera to get more light for better lowlight imaging, which we witnessed ourselves during our time with the device. The photos are actually shot at 38MP (4:3 aspect ratio) or 34MP (16:9 aspect ratio).

However, we noticed a slight lag during image processing in both 5MP and 38MP resolution settings. Saving the image takes a little time at both resolutions. In our view, unless one knows enough about camera settings, the settings in Lumia 1020 should not be fiddled with, else the images can end up being over- or underexposed.

The default camera app in Lumia 1020 captures images at just 5MP resolution and you have to remember to use the Pro Camera app in order to take the higher resolution photos.

The photos we clicked with the phone had excellent colours and contrast, and with the right settings, you get amazing photos with a lot of details. In fact, the phone allows users to take photos, then zoom in and crop certain portions without losing any clarity. The zoomed-in photos show no pixilation and look very good.

Here is a shot we have taken with the Nokia Lumia 1020:

Here is the zoomed-in and cropped version of the same photo:

While Nokia has done a good job with the phone's zooming capabilities, Lumia 1020 is not blessed with optical zoom even though rivals like Samsung Galaxy S4 zoom and Sony Xperia Z1 both have it. With a full review, we will be able to determine whether Lumia 1020's lossless zoom is just as good as optical zoom, and we keep our judgement reserved till then.

That notwithstanding, Lumia 1020 has gotten us quite excited about the camera, though we feel most of its features will be used occasionally.

Lumia 1020 has decent hardware, but nothing that would put the competition on the edge. In fact, it shares the screen size and quality, chipset, software features and connectivity suite with the Lumia 925. The only difference - apart from camera, of course - is twice the RAM and internal storage. (2GB and 32GB respectively).

Lumia 1020 may be a great option for anyone looking for a camera they can carry around. But if the best smartphone is your priority, Lumia 1020 is probably not the ideal choice. Of course, we cannot be sure of the value-for-money aspect unless Nokia announces the price tag of this smartphone.


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Can Amazon crack Indian e-commerce market?

In just three months, MirchiMart, a Delhi-based online retailer of mobile phones, has seen its business jump by 50%. In the same period, another electronics retailer Universal, which runs 500 stores in South India, has shipped tablets and smartphones to every state and union territory in India. And AXA PDA Lounge, a Bangalore-based retailer of mobile phones and accessories, has seen its business grow by one-third, selling products as far away as Srinagar and Imphal.

Behind the increase in sales and reach of these three retailers is their decision to sell their products also via Amazon.in, the Indian platform of the world's largest online retailer launched in June. While this is doing wonders to their sales, it's a small step to bigger things for Amazon India, but far from a done deal.

Indian rules don't allow Amazon to stock and sell products, which is how it earned 60% of its 2012 revenues of $61 billion (Rs 3,66,000 crore). So, as it bides its time for rules to change in India, it is dipping its toes in this $12 billion market by being an online marketplace, hosting and enabling 500 sellers like MirchiMart, Universal and AXA PDA Lounge. "If regulation permitted Amazon.in to be a seller, it would be good for the consumer," says Amit Agarwal, vice president and country manager, Amazon Seller Services. "We will be able to offer more choice."

In his 14 years at the 19 -year-old Amazon, Agarwal has seen the company do that, with great purpose, force and results. Before he relocated to lead Amazon in India, the IIT Bombay and Stanford graduate helped build the marketplace business in the US, started its cloud computing business, did a stint with Amazon International and did two years as advisor to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. He has seen Amazon power ahead in developed markets. And he has seen Amazon move gingerly in emerging markets, hemmed in by rules, local consumer behaviour and local competition.

India is the 12th country for which Amazon has a dedicated website. It's only its third emerging market, after China in 2004 and Brazil in 2012, and this is a space where Amazon is yet to stamp its presence the way it has done, say, in the US. "In Brazil, Amazon's offering is fairly new and focuses on e-books," says Zia Daniell Wigder, vicepresident and research director, Forrester Research. "However, it will face competition from traditional retailers in Brazil, who have now gone online."

Amazon has been longer in China, which is also a much bigger market. According to Praveen Sengar, research analyst at Gartner, e-commerce in China is a $197 billion market, against $220 billion in US. "China will overtake the US as the largest e-commerce market in a few years," he says.

"But Amazon is not among the top five sellers in China. Even in developed economies like Japan, local player Rakuten is much bigger than Amazon. Companies have to localize to succeed in emerging markets and Amazon has been unable to do so in China."

The local challenge
Like China, e-commerce in India is throbbing with local players — 75-100 start-ups, driven by entrepreneurs and backed by venture capital. "It's hard for an executive to compete with an entrepreneur," feels Sanjeev Aggarwal, managing director of Helion Venture Partners. "The passion and energy they bring is very different."

Besides, adds Aggarwal, these start-ups understand the local market — like low-value transactions, cash on delivery and supplying to 20,000 pin codes. "You can't run retailing in India with executives installed from the US," he says. "Amazon will replicate what has worked for it in other markets." In developed markets, what has worked for Amazon is its large product catalogue competitive pricing, good customer orientation, a culture of innovation, deep pockets (it has about $11.5 billion in cash and marketable securities) and branding.

In India, too, it will gradually leverage all of this.

Globally, Amazon offers products in 40 categories and two million sellers, and draws about 100 million buyers. "Amazon is like Walmart — keep a huge inventory and sell at a low price," says Anshul Bansal, who quit as vice president in the investment banking division of Yes Bank in 2011 to become an online retailer of sarees on eBay, another online marketplace.

In India, Amazon is currently offering 13 product categories and is planning to add more in time for the festive season.

Sengar calls it a "timely entry." According to Pragya Singh of Technopak -- a management-consulting firm -- organized, brick-and-mortar retail has 7-8% penetration and does not reach small cities. "E-tailing is less than $1 billion at present, with plenty of headroom to grown, in sync with growth of mobile internet users," says Singh, associate director, retail, Technopak.

Singh believes the tipping point in e-tailing is three to four years away.

"VC-funded models don't have the deep pockets to match global companies," he says. Amazon too is in no hurry. "We are driven for the long term," says Agarwal. "We take a 7-10 years time frame for the seed to sprout and not three years or three months."

Sengar sees Amazon making an acquisition. "It costs Rs 1,200-1,500 to acquire a customer, while an average order value per year is $200 (about Rs 12,000," he says. "An acquisition will help it obtain customers who are used to buying online, besides warehouses." Agarwal deflects queries on acquisitions. "At, present we are focussed on customer experience," he says. "I won't speculate on future strategy. We are here for the long haul."

For now, Amazon is content to build its marketplace model by adding sellers from the pool of 14 million small and medium enterprises in India who have something to sell. That model is what eBay is founded on — it does not own warehouses and products are shipped directly from sellers — and it's what Flipkart,the largest online retailer in the country today, launched earlier this year.

While eBay, which has been in India for about a decade, has 30,000 sellers, Amazon has 500 currently. While sellers can express an interest to be on the Amazon platform, the company decides. "It's a due diligence we do on the ability of a seller to provide a good customer experience," says Agarwal.

These, typically, include the kind of stock a seller has and its ability to complete an order on time.

The building challenge
Amazon does not charge sellers for listing products and has no cap on how many products can be listed. For the first year of its operations, Amazon has also waived its monthly subscription fee and transaction fee (about 10-15% of the price of an item). "Buyer 'footfall' is the biggest advantage sellers get on Amazon," says Dinesh Agarwal, founder-CEO of IndiaMart.com, a business-to-business marketplace.

Mumbai-based MX Information Systems has a retail outlet and 14 shop-in-shops or counters in large multi-brand retail stores or malls. It is also a seller on Amazon. Satish Bathija, its director, says that being on Amazon increases the catchment area for its products, helps sell on the back of a global brand, creates trust among buyers, and offers access to Amazon services like payment gateways, shipping and logistics.

"We see online business grow faster than offline," says Bathija.

A seller on Amazon can ship products directly or through Amazon, from its 1,50,000 sq ft warehouse on the outskirts of Mumbai. In case of the latter, buyers can see an FBA tag (Fulfilled By Amazon) alongside the product. "We don't need to invest in manpower for shipping, packing and logistics," says Bathija, "though we have to pay for payment gateway (for credit-card sales)."

Some retailers feel that if and when Amazon can sell on its own, it will threaten its portfolio of sellers, even as it promotes their interests. "Amazon does not share market research data with sellers and uses that data to push its own products," says Bansal, proprietor of Old India Republic, a retailer of sarees on eBay. "Small sellers feel threatened by a giant like Amazon."

Agarwal, today, emphasizes on getting the basics right. "It's just been three months since we launched, and we believe consumers care more about low prices, wide selection and reliable delivery," he says. "We are focussed on that."


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SSTL: If things don’t work out, we will wind up

Half a year after Russian conglomerate, Sistema's Indian unit, Sistema Shyam Teleservices, won back airwaves in the 800MHz frequency band for eight circles, the company's global finance chief Vsevolod Rozanov has warned that foreign investment will not flow in until the government creates a level-playing field and brings a policy to promote consolidation. In an interview with ET, Rosanov warns that if sectoral anomalies aren't corrected, it would jeopardize the company's investment of $3.6 billion till date. Excerpts:

What is your view on Trai's suggestion that there should be no auction of 800MHz band due to low demand?
We were taken aback by the regulator's decision. We participated in the March auctions on the premise that there will be roadmap and continuity for expansion of CDMA technology but received a rude shock. We only hope the telecom department understands our perspective and provides continuity for our expansion. We had to shrink in geography because the price was exorbitant.

If the government goes ahead with Trai's proposal, will you challenge it in court?
I can only say that I hope 800MHz is treated at par with 1800MHz. As a foreign investor, we don't have the ability to fight and use the tricks which domestic operators can. We can only ask the government to protect and support us. Before escalating this issue to higher levels in the government, we want to resolve this amicably. But, if things do turn out to be unfavourable, it makes sense to wind up rather than fight a court case for 5 to 10 years.

The government has permitted 100% FDI. Will Sistema buy out its minority partner or up its stake in the company?
Firstly, our till date investments need to be respected. Despite six months past the March auctions, we still haven't received the third carrier we had won. It is very frustrating, but we are given to understand that winners of the November auction haven't received their airwaves either.

Each time we meet government officials, we are assured that spectrum will be allotted in the next two to three weeks, but now it is more than six months and we still haven't received our spectrum. There is no point in buying anyone out in such a regulatory environment. We first need technical grounds, and then only will we be willing to increase our stake. We are committed but not a single rational foreign investor will put money into this mess right now.

Is Sistema looking to consolidate in the telecom market and does it make business sense for you to hence enter the GSM market?
Today, the first task for the management is to become positive cash flow by the first half of 2015. Moving into another technology will mean additional investment of $1-2 billion. Only after that can we talk about the future. At the current base to move into a different technology we will push our return on investments business by another four to five years.

So, will you participate in the 800MHz auctions if they are held?
If the Trai's proposal of reducing the floor price of spectrum were extended to 800MHz, it makes absolute sense for us to invest in the market. We will expand our geographical reach. May be not to all the 22 circles but there would be a very strong case for us to invest. For instance, we didn't want to forgo the Mumbai market but given the spectrum pricing in the March auctions, we had to let go of that fantastic data market.


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HCL Tech bags multi-million dollar contract in US

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 25 September 2013 | 21.43

NEW DELHI: Software services company HCL Technologies said that it has won a multi-year multi-million dollar contract to modernise unemployment insurance services in the US states of Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona and North Dakota.

"HCL America Inc (HCLA), a wholly owned subsidiary of HCL Technologies, has won a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal with the WyCAN Consortium, a group of states including Arizona, Colorado, North Dakota and Wyoming," the firm said in a release.

HCLA will enable WyCAN to improve Unemployment Insurance (UI) modernisation programme services, which is one of the largest such programmes in the US providing critical income to millions of unemployed Americans, it added.

HCLA was selected through a highly competitive process where it demonstrated its managed cloud-as-a-service solution called iGOVERN(r).

HCL's solution expertise will be used to deliver and support WYCAN's unemployment insurance (UI) tax and benefit systems and transform it into an integrated claimant and employer focused, self-assisted service channel.

The deal will give the consortium states a configurable, intuitive Government-to-Citizen (G2C) system aimed at consolidating and replacing existing legacy systems to allow easier adaptation to changing legislation, the release said.

This means superior services for the claimant, employers and UI staff by improving collaboration with other Department of Labor (DOL) agencies, it added.


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BlackBerry to pay $157 million if Fairfax offer rejected

NEW YORK: Struggling BlackBerry may have to shell out $157 million to Fairfax Financial if the smartphone maker backs out from the proposed $4.7 billion takeover offer.

BlackBerry would be liable to pay the break-up fee if the company enters into an alternative transaction within three months from November 4, when Fairfax is set to complete its six-week due diligence for the proposed deal.

The phone maker would be required to pay "Fairfax a fee of $0.30 for each issued and outstanding Blackberry share." This would amount to $157.2 million.

BlackBerry's total outstanding shares stood at 524 million as of June 30, as per data available with Nasdaq.

According to a US SEC filing, the break-up fee would also come into play even if the handset maker publicly announces an alternative deal during the due diligence period.

However, the smartphone manufacturer would not be required to pay the fee if Fairfax reduces its offer price from $9 per share.

The terms of the agreement signed between BlackBerry and the consortium led by Fairfax said that during the six-week diligence period, if the company enters into any letter of intent or definitive agreement providing for an alternative transaction, it shall pay the break-fee "immediately upon entering into such agreement."

"(Also), if during the diligence period, the company (BlackBerry) ceases to negotiate with the consortium in good faith with a view to entering into definitive agreement by the end of the diligence period," the break-up fee would be applicable immediately upon such cessation, BlackBerry said in the filing.

The break-up fee would also be applicable if during the three-month period after November 4, 2013, BlackBerry enters into any pact providing for an alternative deal "with a person with whom discussions regarding an alternative transaction were held before or during the diligence period" and finally is consummated.

The break-off fee would also be applicable if during the diligence period, an alternative transaction other than as contemplated is publicly proposed or publicly announced by a third person and such transaction with the person is consummated within 6 months after November 4, 2013.

If during the diligence period, BlackBerry proposes to enter into an agreement relating to another transaction, it shall have to give FairFax a 48-hour written notice.

Following months of speculation of a buyout, BlackBerry last night said it reached a tentative agreement for a $4.7 billion buyout by a group led by Fairfax -- its biggest shareholder. Fairfax owns about 10% of BlackBerry's common shares.

Once a dominant player in the handset market, BlackBerry has lost its market share to rivals Apple ( iPhone) and Google's Android-powered devices.


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Modi's run to the PM’s seat in new Android game

NEW DELHI: Just a day after Narendra Modi-themed SmartNamo phones became available for pre-orders in India, a US-based company has released an Android game featuring the Gujarat chief minister.

Dexati, a developer of mobile apps, has released the game - titled Modi Run - as a free app on Google's operating system.

The gameplay of Modi Run involves BJP's prime ministerial candidate running across 12 states to gather votes and, after the last stage, become the PM of India.

Though not all states are shown in the game, the Gujarat strongman runs through Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttaranchal, Rajasthan, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Madhya Pradesh in his quest for the PM's seat.

The app shows Modi beating obstacles and collecting diamonds at various stages. And he doesn't just run, but also flaps his arms comically to hop across a long stretch. At the end of each stage, he counts the votes in the BJP ballot box.

This game has not been endorsed either by Modi or by BJP, says the game's publisher. Dexati also says, "Help Modi win the election by running through the elections. If you are a fan of Modi or a supporter of BJP, this is the app for you."

Modi Run has already been downloaded by Android users approximately 50,000 times and has a rating of 4.8 (out of 5), based on over 400 user reviews.


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BlackBerry slashes Z10 price by 31% in India

NEW DELHI: Smartphone maker BlackBerry has seen its fortunes change drastically since the emergence of iPhones and Android devices. The company, whose market share in India has dropped to just 2% in India, saw poor market response to its top-end Z10 smartphone in the country.

It has, thus, been forced to cut the price of the smartphone by 31%, from Rs 43,490 to Rs 29,990. This limited period offer is valid only for the upcoming festive season, says the Canadian company.

Though the official price of Z10 has been Rs 43,490 since launch, it has been available for less than Rs 30,000 on e-commerce stores for quite some time.

"In keeping with the festive season kicking off, we are making a limited period festive offer. Customers can now purchase BlackBerry Z10 smartphone at just Rs 29,990. This lucrative scheme is in line with our commitment towards this market and will help the brand to reach out to more," BlackBerry said in a statement.

"We continue to leverage festive season with relevant product and services promotions. BlackBerry 10 platform offers a new and unique mobile communication experience and at Rs 29,999 the Z10 model is uniquely positioned to change the way in which our customers view mobile technology," BlackBerry India managing director Sunil Lalvani said.

BlackBerry had launched Z10 and a Qwerty device Q10, powered by its latest BB10 operating system, with a lot of fanfare. However, it failed to elicit much response from users.

In March last year, BlackBerry had announced it was slashing prices of its handsets by up to 26%. It had also reduced the price of its PlayBook before that by more than half to Rs 24,490 for the 64GB version under an offer from the original price Rs 37,990. This was further reduced to Rs 19,990.

Earlier this week, BlackBerry had signed a letter of intent with a Fairfax-led consortium to sell its business for $4.7 billion.


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15% in US shun internet; most intend to stay offline

WASHINGTON: Despite a seemingly unstoppable move to digital lifestyles, some 15 per cent of Americans don't use the internet, and most are quite content to remain offline, a survey shows.

The survey released found that in addition to the 15 per cent of adults who don't use the internet on any device, another nine per cent say they only go online at their workplace.

The report by the Pew Research Center found a whopping 92 per cent of these "offline adults" with no interest in using the internet or email in the near future.

"A lot of people are surprised to discover that not everyone is online," said Kathryn Zickuhr, a Pew researcher and author of the report.

"Most offline adults either don't see the internet as relevant to them, or feel that it would not be worth the effort. And though many have had some experiences with the internet in the past, most non-internet users say they are not interested in going online in the future."

The survey found 34 per cent of the offline Americans said the internet is not relevant to them, that they are not interested, do not want to use it, or have no need for it.

Another 32 per cent in this group said they believe using the internet is difficult or frustrating to use, or cite issues such as spam, spyware, and hackers.

Pew found 19 per cent of non-internet users cited the expense of owning a computer or online connections, and just seven per cent said the internet was not available to them.

The report said the percentage of Americans using the internet grew sharply from 1995, when just 14 per cent were online, but has held in a range of around 75 to 85 per cent in the past few years.

Age was a major factor in internet usage: 44 per cent of those 65 and older said they do not use the internet, compared with 17 per cent of the next-youngest age group, 50 to 64.

In the 18-29 age group, 87 per cent use the internet and just 13 per cent do not, Pew found

Those with lower incomes or less education, and Hispanics were also less likely to go online.

Some 41 per cent who failed to finish high school were not using the internet, as were 24 per cent of Hispanics and 24 per cent of those in households earning less than $30,000 per year, according to the researchers.

Urban and suburban dwellers were a bit more likely to go online than their rural counterparts, the researchers found.

But those who are offline are aware of the value of the internet: 44 of the offline adults surveyed said they have asked a friend or family member to look something up or complete a task on the internet for them.

And one in four offline adults live in a household where someone else uses the internet at home, a proportion that has remained relatively steady for over a decade.

One in seven, or 14 per cent, of the offline group said they had previously used the internet, but have since stopped for some reason.

Among the internet users, most had broadband access, with just three percent using dial-up connections, Pew found.

The report was based on a survey of 2,252 adults from April 17 to May 19. The margin of error was estimated at 2.3 percentage points for the full group, 2.5 points for internet users and 5.9 points for the non-internet users.


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Online bus bookings grew by 185%: IAMAI

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 24 September 2013 | 21.43

NEW DELHI: Showing a trend towards cashless transactions, online bus and hotel bookings have registered a growth of over 130% since January this year, a report said today.

Online bus bookings have grown 185%, with bookings increasing from 2.5 lakh in January to 7.2 lakh in July while hotel bookings have increased to 1.3 lakh from 60,000 in the same period, showing a growth of 135%, the report by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB said.

"Internet economy watch data clearly shows an increase in engagement of consumers when it comes to online bookings. The data has two fold ramifications.

"First, it clearly reflects a trend towards cashless transactions which is what we need today and secondly Internet usage is fast penetrating to end users who not only book air or rail ticket but also bus tickets," IAMAI President Subho Ray said.

He added there is also a spurt in usage of mobile internet, which is a healthy sign.

Booking of airlines tickets, however, registered the lowest growth since January this year.

The segment registered a growth of 20% with 18.4 lakh bookings in July as compared to 15.3 lakh bookings in January while railway tickets bookings grew 43% to reach 67 lakh in July as compared to 47 lakh in January.


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iPhone 5 screen twice as fast as Galaxy S4's: Report

NEW DELHI: Apple fanboys have for long boasted that iPhones offer the best touchscreen experience, and a recent research proves them right. As per the latest report by game and app streaming company Agawi, the Apple smartphone still is the best smartphone when it comes to matters of touchscreen responsiveness.

Agawi's new report states that the iPhone 5's touchscreen responsiveness was found to be twice as fast as those of its rivals which constituted mostly Android devices. The results were based on an in-house testing process where cameras operating at 240 frames per second were used, and a custom piece of hardware called a Touchscope that measures app response time. The results showed that the iPhone 5, which was launched last year, was way ahead of the other devices, with the iPhone 4 and Samsung Galaxy S4 coming second and third respectively.

The report stated that in matters of responsiveness, the iPhone 5 showed a minimum app response time of 55 milliseconds, compared to 85 milliseconds on the iPhone 4 and 114 milliseconds on the Galaxy S4. There was, however, no mention of the reasons for the difference in responsiveness across the various devices.

The Android devices that were used in the test consisted of the Samsung Galaxy S4, the HTC One and the Moto X. The Nokia Lumia 928 was the only Windows Phone device used in the test.


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Narendra Modi themed SmartNamo phones launched

NEW DELHI: A Gujarat-based group has launched two Narendra Modi-themed smartphones in India, named SmartNamo Saffron One and SmartNamo Saffron Two. The two smartphones are now available for pre-order at e-commerce website Snapdeal for an initial booking amount of Rs 999.

The 16 and 32GB variants of SmartNamo Saffron One have been priced at Rs 18,000 and Rs 23,000, respectively. SmartNamo Saffron Two will cost buyers Rs 24,000. Both the phones will be available for delivery in the second week of October, according to the website. Both devices are powered by Android 4.2 and have 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, 3,150mAh battery and dual-sim functionality.

SmartNamo Saffron One has a 5-inch IPS screen with 1920x1080p resolution and 441ppi pixel density. Available in two storage options, this device can be purchased in black or white colours. Its connectivity suite consists of features like 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microUSB.

Saffron Two has a 6.5-inch screen, making it one of the biggest smartphones in the world. Its IPS display also has a 1920x1080p resolution and 338ppi pixel density. Other key features of the device are 32GB internal storage, microSD support up to 64GB, 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microUSB. The company is offering an extra battery, a leather case, as well as another dual-sim feature phone worth Rs 1,111 free with this handset.

Both the phones will come preloaded with wallpapers, videos as well as apps related to Modi.

According to the official website of the smartphone maker, Namo is an acronym for Narendra Modi as well as Next-generation Android Mobile Odyssey. Modi is popularly referred to as NaMo on social networking websites.

The Smart Namo group is backed by Gujarati businessmen who have mobile businesses in China. Ammeet Desai, the spokesperson for Smart Namo was quoted by The Wall Street Journal saying that they got the idea for this phone from China itself, where several products like MP3 players and smartphones are branded with their leaders' name.


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Sensor-packed T-shirt to measure stress level, sleep

WASHINGTON: A new sensor-fitted T-shirt that analyses movement, breathing and heart activity, can measure stress levels throughout the day and also monitor sleep.

The Hexoskin T-shirt and companion device, currently being developed in Canada, sends the data to an online account via a smartphone.

The T-shirt component is machine-washable and water-resistant, and can be worn under any type of sportswear to measure athletic performance in real time.

Hexoskin features a precise breathing volume measurement. Breathing volume is also a key marker for sleep monitoring.

To monitor the quality of sleep, "the combination of movement, breathing, and heart sensors gives a lot of information about your sleep states (wake versus sleep, movements and sleep positions, light versus deep sleep)," Fournier added.

The device picks up activity and stress levels throughout the day.

"We use activity patterns, breathing patterns, heart rate variability and other factors to measure stress during the day," Hexoskin CEO Pierre-Alexandre Fournier told 'Gizmag'.

The device is also designed to make life easier for sports professionals who need to manage teams.

For sports coaches, the company has developed the Hexoskin Team app to allow professionals to programme, time and annotate the training routines of athletes.


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Apple updates iMac with Intel processors

NEW DELHI: Apple said it has updated the iMac with fourth-generation Intel processors, better graphics, next-generation Wi-Fi and faster flash storage options.

The entry-level 21.5-inch iMac features a 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor and new Iris Pro graphics for unprecedented levels of integrated graphics performance. The high-end 21.5-inch model and both 27-inch models feature quad-core Intel Core i5 processors running at 3.4GHz. They also have the Nvidia GeForce 700 series graphics under the hood, delivering twice the video memory and up to 40% faster performance than their predecessors.

Apple is also providing buyers the option to upgrade to quad-core Intel Core i7 processors running at 3.5 GHz and Nvidia GeForce GTX 780M series graphics with 4GB video memory.

iMac now supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi that delivers up to three time faster wireless performance than the previous generation models. The updated iMac also supports for PCIe-based flash storage and all-flash storage options up to 50% faster than predecessors.

The new iMacs ship with OS X Mountain Lion and come preloaded with software like Messages, Notification Center, system-wide Sharing, AirPlay Mirroring, Dictation, Game Center and the enhanced security of Gatekeeper to your Mac.

Base 21.5-inch iMac is available at a retail price of Rs 99,900, while the higher model can be purchased for Rs 1,14,900. The two 27-inch iMac models have been priced at Rs 1,39,900 and Rs 1,54,900, depending on configuration.


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Unbreakable smartphones coming soon

Written By Unknown on Senin, 23 September 2013 | 21.43

MELBOURNE: Unbreakable rubber-like smartphones, rollable tablets and functional clothing have come closer to reality, thanks to new breakthrough research by scientists including one of Indian-origin.

Researchers from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) RMIT University have developed a new method to transfer electronics with versatile functionality, which are usually made on rigid silicon, onto a flexible surface.

The ability of micro and nano-electronic devices to sense, insulate or generate energy is controlled by thin, transparent nanolayers of oxide materials, often much thinner than 1/100th of a human hair.

These oxide materials are brittle and their high processing temperatures - often in excess of 300 degrees Celsius - have until now prevented their incorporation in flexible electronic devices.

Lead author, Philipp Gutruf, said the new process could unleash the potential of fully functional flexible electronics, while providing a new way for the materials to mesh together.

"We have discovered a micro-tectonic effect, where microscale plates of oxide materials slide over each other, like geological plates, to relieve stress and retain electrical conductivity," he said.

"The novel method we have developed overcomes the challenges of incorporating oxide materials in bendable electronic devices, paving the way for bendable consumer electronics and other exciting applications," said Gutruf.

Supervisor and co-leader of the research group, Dr Madhu Bhaskaran, said the new approach used two popular materials - transparent conductive indium tin oxide and rubber-like silicone which is also biocompatible.

"The ability to combine any functional oxide with this biocompatible material creates the potential for biomedical devices to monitor or stimulate nerve cells and organs. This is in addition to the immediate potential for consumer electronics applications in flexible displays, solar cells, and energy harvesters," said Bhaskaran.

The study was published in the journal Asia Materials.


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'Facebook, Google top earners from online ads'

WASHINGTON: Google and Facebook are reportedly the top leaders to cash in the online advertising, leaving the rest of the digital advertising firms with no growth.

Market analysts indicate that in 2012, online advertising in the US grew 15.5%, to $36.6 billion, and the two big Silicon Valley giants grab much of that growing pile of cash.

An analyst with data tracker Pivotal Research, Brian Wieser said that excluding Facebook and Google, who take up most of the share, there is almost no growth, New York Post reports.

Pivotal indicates that out of the $19 billion spent on search, the largest areas of online advertising, Google has an estimated 95% share.

The report said that while spending in the digital space has grown exponentially, one-time stalwarts AOL and Yahoo! have been left on the sidelines.

According to Pivotal data, keeping aside Google and Facebook, display and traffic acquisition costs (TAC), web advertising stands at just $12.4 billion, constituting an annual growth rate of just 1%, the report added.


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Samsung employees cover iPhone line in New York

NEW DELHI: When the iPhone 5 launched in 2012, Samsung's mobile division released a video mocking Apple fanboys for waiting in line for days to get their hands on a phone that was smaller than its Galaxy S III and had fewer features. Though funny, the advertisement failed to make much of an impact as iPhone 5 became the fastest selling smartphone, with first weekend sales touching 5 million.

This time too the company made its presence felt, though in a very different manner - by covering the lines of people at an Apple Store in New York. A crew of cameramen and videographers working for Samsung Broadcast Center hit the Apple retail outlet at Fifth Avenue, Manhattan and asked questions related to why Apple launches attract such a following.

Interestingly, the Samsung Broadcast crew did not ask questions from the people waiting in line, but posed queries to reporters present there. Some of the questions they asked were "Is the crowd more excited or less than previous years?" and "Is the line shorter or longer this year than last?" In effect, the Samsung team was trying to gauge whether Apple fans were getting tired of the company's launches or remain as staunchly loyal as in the past.

A Samsung Broadcast producer, on the condition of anonymity, told technology news website CNET that they are covering the iPhone line out of curiousity.

However, a Samsung Broadcast PR manager tried to downplay the coverage, saying that the broadcast team was in New York for an interview and not the Apple event. He also said that the crew has no relation to Samsung Electronics or the smartphone division.

Apple has announced its weekend sales for the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, which together topped nine million units. This is the biggest figure for any smartphone till date, though the company has not revealed individual breakdown of sales for the two handsets.


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First weekend iPhone sales set new record, top 9m

CUPERTINO: Apple has announced it sold a record-breaking nine million new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C models, just three days after the launch of the new iPhones on September 20.

In addition, more than 200 million iOS devices are now running the completely redesigned iOS 7, making it the fastest software upgrade in history, according to the company. Both iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C are available in the US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK.

"This is our best iPhone launch yet -―more than nine million new iPhones sold ―- a new record for first weekend sales," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "The demand for the new iPhones has been incredible, and while we've sold out of our initial supply of iPhone 5S, stores continue to receive new iPhone shipments regularly. We appreciate everyone's patience and are working hard to build enough new iPhones for everyone."

iPhone 5S sports Apple-designed A7 64-bit chip, all-new 8 megapixel iSight camera and introduces Touch ID, which allows users to unlock their phones with

just the touch of a finger. iPhone 5C features a 4-inch Retina display, A6 chip, and 8-megapixel iSight camera. Both iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C offer more LTE bands than any other smartphone in the world and include FaceTime HD cameras.

iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C feature iOS 7, which the company claims is its most significant iOS update since the original iPhone. The new features of iOS 7 include Control Center, Notification Center, improved Multitasking, AirDrop, Safari, Siri and introduces iTunes Radio.


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First weekend iPhone sales set new record, top 9m

NEW DELHI: Apple has announced it sold a record-breaking nine million new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C models, just three days after the launch of the new iPhones on September 20.

In addition, more than 200 million iOS devices are now running the completely redesigned iOS 7, making it the fastest software upgrade in history, according to the company. Both iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C are available in the US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK.

"This is our best iPhone launch yet -―more than nine million new iPhones sold ―- a new record for first weekend sales," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "The demand for the new iPhones has been incredible, and while we've sold out of our initial supply of iPhone 5S, stores continue to receive new iPhone shipments regularly. We appreciate everyone's patience and are working hard to build enough new iPhones for everyone."

With sales figures crossing 9 million units, Apple has beaten the expectations of analysts. KGI Securities analyst Ming-chi Kuo estimated sales of 6-8 million new iPhones, while Piper Jeffrey's Gene Munster expected 5-6 million in first weekend sales.

iPhone 5S sports Apple-designed A7 64-bit chip, all-new 8MP camera and introduces Touch ID, which allows users to unlock their phones with just the touch of a finger. iPhone 5C features a 4-inch Retina display, A6 chip, and 8MP camera. Both iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C offer more LTE bands than any other smartphone in the world and include FaceTime HD cameras.

Apple's new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C run on iOS 7, which the company claims is its most significant iOS update since the original iPhone. The new features of iOS 7 include an all-new features like Control Centre, iTunes Radio and AirDrop, as well as improvements in notification centre, multitasking, Safari and Siri.


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UK children blackmailed to perform sex acts online

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 22 September 2013 | 21.43

LONDON: Hundreds of British children have been blackmailed into indulging in online sex acts, consequently making several of them kill themselves. Britain's Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre has revealed a shocking trend of online blackmail causing children to harm themselves.

In the past two years CEOP has investigated 12 cases where children were blackmailed into performing sexual acts on a webcam.

According to figures from the police forces in the UK and abroad, 424 children have been a victimized and have being forced to submit to online sexual blackmail in some form. Among them, 184 belonged to the UK.

Most of the British children targeted were boys aged 11 to 15. Britons were disproportionately targeted because they spoke English, and in the apparent belief that liberal values in this country were likely to make them more susceptible to 'online grooming' , CEOP said.

The CEOP centre has been involved in 12 operations where blackmailing children into performing sexual acts has been a clear motive of the offender.

Research also shows that of those victims, seven children seriously self-harmed or attempted to take their own life.

The CEOP centre, which will become a command within the National Crime Agency from next month, has also found that in some cases, children are not only made to exchange sexual images/videos of themselves, but also forced by offenders to perform other acts live on webcam including writing degrading statements on their body and cutting themselves.

The children are usually forced into performing these acts after the offender, who often initially pretends to be a child, threatens to share their naked pictures or chats with friends and family unless they do as they are told.

In one of the cases, an offender even collated his images of blackmailed victims in a folder named 'slaves' .

Once the child has sent the images, the offenders begin blackmailing them either for more of such indecent images or, in few cases, even for cash. And unless the child agrees to do what the offender says, they will then threaten to share the child's pictures with family and friends.

Andy Baker, deputy chief executive at the CEOP centre said, "These offenders are cowards. They hide behind a screen, and in many cases make hollow threats which they know they will never act on because sharing these images will only bring the police closer to them."


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Microsoft offers Ahmedabad boy $180,000 package

AHMEDABAD: An Amdavadi boy who attended school in Shahibaug and interned at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Ahmedabad, has landed one of the highest pay packages offered to an engineering postgraduate - $1,80,000 USD plus incentives. The offer was made by Microsoft to 23-year-old Priyanshu Kumar Jha, who earned a master's from Singapore. Priyanshu will work for Microsoft's Bing search engine as development engineer.

Priyanshu will head to the Microsoft headquarters in the US next week. He is the youngest of the batch of students who appeared for placements at the National University of Singapore this year, where he studied for the master's degree in software engineering. He has secured a bachelor's degree in information technology from UV Patel College of Engineering, Ganpat University, Mehsana.

Priyanshu's father, Prabhat Kumar Jha, is a zonal director (central zone) National Small Industries Corporation, ministry of medium, small & micro enterprises. Priyanshu's mother, Ranjana, is a homemaker. Priyanshu completed his schooling from Central School, Shahibaug.

"As an engineering student, I always aspired to work for Microsoft at some point in my career," Priyanshu said. "But to have my first job, at this age, as an engineer in Microsoft is a dream come true." Being the youngest achiever in his group has been Priyanshu's habit. He was the youngest to be chosen for the master's programme in Singapore. "I had to put in a lot of extra work to keep up with my batchmates, who had a minimum of two years of work experience," he said. "I was the only one with no work experience, but my top scores always gave me an edge over the others."

Priyanshu told TOI that he had been exposed to computers since 1994. "My dream is to work for corporations for a while and use my learning to launch my own company after coming back to Ahmedabad," he said. "I want to give back to society which has given me so much."

As for the interview with Microsoft, Priyanshu said it consisted of six rounds with each one lasting six hours. But he said the interactions were always relaxed.


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Apple strikes gold with iPhone 5s (Gold)

WASHINGTON: Either by gross underestimation or strategic design, stores across the United States quickly ran out of the gold-toned iPhone 5s hours after the model's release on Friday, sparking off a frenzy that may well translate into rich pickings in the two markets Apple wants a bite of - China and India. After all, it is no secret that the two of the world's hottest economies are gold crazy.

Apple's original idea was to get a big bite of this Samsung-dominated market with a cheaper version of the iPhone, the 5c, which comes in five colors - white, pink, yellow, blue, and green. Instead, it might as well strike gold with the higher priced 5s, particularly the gold-finish model that was snapped up from stores at a faster rate than other models.

Across the United States and beyond where Apple released 5s and 5c, shoppers - some of them paid stand-ins - lined up in front of stores through the night for first dibs on the new instruments, partly driven there by Apple forsaking online booking. Apple's flagship store in New York City's Fifth avenue reported 1400 people in line on Friday morning. But many of them reportedly melted away when told that the gold 5s - which is more champagne-colored - had sold out.

About a third of the crowd walked away when told the 5s gold was out of stock, according to one west coast retailer. Ashish Gupta, an executive at Applauze, a ticketing and events app, who said he has been to every iPhone launch, told USA Today he surveyed people waiting outside a Palo Alto outlet who were given cards by stores according to the models they are waiting for; Gold topped by a long way, followed by silver-gray.

The popularity of the gold iPhone suggests that consumers are yearning for a new form factor, Gupta said. The gold color makes it clear that the owner has the new iPhone, whereas other models may look too similar to the old iPhone 5.

Apple's online store showed that gold 5s will not ship until October; by contrast, the silver and "space gray" models will be shipped in 7 to 10 business days. The company, which didn't comment officially on customer preference, is reported to have asked its suppliers to step up supplies of its gold model.

So for some weeks at least, flaunting the gold model will be the bling thing among shiny-eyed suckers.


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Time to step away from smartphone!

Whenever Michael Carl, the fashion market director at Vanity Fair, goes out to dinner with friends, he plays something called the "phone stack" game: Everyone places their phones in the middle of the table; whoever looks at their device before the check arrives picks up the tab.

Brandon Holley, the former editor of Lucky magazine, had trouble ditching her iPhone when she got home from work. So about six months ago, she began tossing her phone into a vintage milk tin the moment she walked in. It remains there until after dinner.

And Marc Jacobs, the fashion designer, didn't want to sleep next to a beeping gizmo. So he banned digital devices from his bedroom, a house rule he shared with audiences during a recent screening of "Disconnect," a film that dramatizes how technology has alienated people from one another.

As smartphones continue to burrow their way into our lives, and wearable devices like Google Glass threaten to erode our personal space even further, overtaxed users are carving out their own device-free zones with ad hoc tricks and life hacks.

Whether it's a physical barrier (no iPads at the dinner table) or a conceptual one (turn off devices by 11 pm), users say these weaning techniques are improving their relationships - and their sanity.

"Disconnecting is a luxury that we all need," said Lesley MM Blume, a New York writer who keeps her phone away from the dinner table at home. "The expectation that we must always be available to employers, colleagues, family: It creates a real obstacle in trying to set aside private time. But that private time is more important than ever."

Much of the digital detoxing is centered on the home, where urgent emails from co-workers, texts from friends, Instagram photos from acquaintances and YOLO updates on Facebook conspire to upend domestic tranquillity.

A popular tactic is to designate a kind of cellphone lockbox, like the milk tin that Holley uses.

"If my phone is buzzing or lighting up, it's still a distraction, so it goes in the box," said Holley, who lives in a row house in Brooklyn, with her son, Smith, and husband, John. "It's not something I want my kid to see."

An empty fishbowl, which sits on a dining room credenza, serves a similar function for Jaime David, a publicist at the Starworks Group in New York, except there are consequences for violators. "If someone picks up the phone between 6:30 and 8:30 pm without a really good reason, they are tasked with getting our son to bed," said David, who lives in Maplewood, NJ, with her husband, Jon, and two sons, Milo, 4, and Jack, 10 months.

Others assign a digital curfew.

"No screens after 11 pm," said Ari Melber, a host of MSNBC's "The Cycle," who lives in a walk-up apartment in Brooklyn, with his fiancee, Drew Grant, a pop culture reporter at The New York Observer. The rule was instituted in January, after a vacation in Honduras where the couple found themselves without internet access and ultimately happy about it.

"We found the evenings were more relaxing, and we were sleeping better," Melber said.

Sleep is a big factor, which is why some, like Jacobs, draw the gadget-free line at the bedroom.

"I don't want to sleep next to something that is a charged ball of information with photos and emails," said Peter Som, the fashion designer, who keeps his phone in the living room, plugged in overnight. "It definitely is a head-clearer and delineates daytime and sleep time."

Households with young children are especially mindful about being overconnected, with parents sensitive to how children may imitate bad habits.

Rebecca Minkoff, a fashion designer, makes a point of turning off the ringers and leaving her two phones on the opposite end of her Dumbo apartment when she plays with her 2-year-old son, Luca.

"It isn't easy, but I do my best to make the few hours I have with my son cellphone-free until he goes to sleep," Minkoff said.

Other parents regard dinnertime as sacrosanct.

"It's a nice break for me when all of us can unplug," said Josh Pickard, an owner of the restaurants Locanda Verde, Lafayette and the Dutch, who forbids his two teenage children, Lotte, 17, and Jack, 13, from bringing their multiple devices to the dinner table. "I can just be in one place in one moment."But it's not just inside the home where users are weaning themselves from the habit. Cellphone overusers are making efforts to disconnect in social settings, whether at the behest of the host or in the form of friendly competition.

To keep guests from texting under the table, some party hosts are banning devices outright.

Peter Davis, the editor of Scene magazine, recently attended a dinner party for about 12 at a West Village home where the host offered to check guests' phones and put them in a bowl. Although most balked, Davis said that guests did manage to stay off their phones during the dinner.

"It was a hint not be on your phone," he said. "Unless you work in the ER or you're a doctor on call, no one really needs to be on their phone."

But maybe the best way to curb cellphone overuse is by preying on people's social insecurities. In some circles, being inaccessible is a status symbol.

"Public cellphone use has reached an uncivilized fever pitch, so now it's chicer behavior to exempt yourself from that," said Blume, the New York writer. "You're not answerable 24/7, and that's a powerful and luxurious statement."


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Microsoft to unveil new Surface tablet

A year after its flubbed tablet introduction, Microsoft is back with a new Surface.

The US tech giant, which has invited media to a launch in New York, is seeking to correct missteps from its first try and gain a foothold in the tablet market dominated by Apple's iPad and others using the Google Android operating system.

Details of the new device were not known, but many analysts expect a more powerful Surface tablet to help Microsoft build momentum in mobile computing.

Microsoft, which is trying to shift its focus to "devices and services" to better compete with Apple and Google, barely made a dent in the sizzling tablet market since introducing the first-generation Surface in October.

The company has not released sales figures, but reported tablet revenues of just $853 million in the fiscal year ended in June. Research firm IDC said Microsoft sold 900,000 in the first quarter of the year -- a market share of just 1.8% -- and even fewer in the second quarter. Apple by comparison sold some 34 million iPads in the first half of 2013.

Microsoft was forced to take an embarrassing $900 million writedown for "inventory adjustments" due to weak sales of the new tablet, which has a basic version and a more expensive "Pro" model.

Rob Enderle, analyst and consultant with Enderle Group, said he expects the new tablets to be much improved.

"This new release should be massively better than the first one. The trick will be getting folks to look at the product fresh," he told AFP.

Enderle said the first version "was too heavy, too expensive and had poor battery life," and the upgraded Surface Pro lacked a key element, the Outlook email program.

Microsoft appears to have fixed these issues and now has a chance to gain some traction with a device that aims to serve as a tablet with some of the functionality of a laptop PC.

"Right now, people don't want to carry a large tablet and laptop," said Enderle.

"If you can consolidate into one product, it lightens your load and it's a lot cheaper."

Jack Gold, analyst at J Gold Associates, said the first Surface "was not a complete device" and did not work with many Windows apps.

Gold said Microsoft can succeed with "a reasonably priced and performance-oriented Pro" to appeal to business users, but that the company "has to build momentum before Android makes it mostly irrelevant."

Others argue that Microsoft's strategy has become muddled as it tries to gain ground in the "high mobility" computing segment while still serving the hundreds of millions using conventional PCs on the Windows operating system.

Roger Kay at Endpoint Technologies Associates said Microsoft has been struggling to serve these sometimes conflicting goals.

"The ambiguity of Windows 8 is built into its architecture," Kay said. "Microsoft has been doing nothing but looking over its shoulder. You need to have your own vision of what people need."

Kay said Microsoft still has a long road to become a meaningful player in mobile computing.

"High mobility and that form factor are up for grabs between Apple and Google and perhaps Microsoft, but Microsoft will be a distant third," he added.

Kay said Microsoft's best chance in the segment was to build momentum with its acquisition of Nokia's phone business, and extend that into tablets.

Kash Rangan, analyst at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, said Microsoft is hurt by a "diffused focus" as it tries to reorganize, search for a new chief executive and reboot its mobile strategy with its Nokia acquisition.

"We worry about the tsunami of changes the company is currently undergoing," Rangan said in a note to clients with a "neutral" investment rating.

"The reorganization, CEO change, acquisition of Nokia, and financial reporting structure change are all occurring simultaneously, and only serve to increase the complexity of the investment story."


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Are BlackBerry's days as smartphone maker over?

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 21 September 2013 | 21.43

OTTAWA: At their peak, just a few years ago, BlackBerry smartphones were symbols of corporate and political power. When President Barack Obama took office, he made keeping his BlackBerry a personal priority, and when BlackBerry service had a hiccup so did business on Wall Street.

But after being upstaged time and again by industry rivals, the devices may soon remain only in memories.

On Friday, BlackBerry announced that it would lay off 4,500 employees, nearly 40% of its already reduced workforce. The cut is so deep that some analysts and investors said the company's days as a smartphone maker were effectively over.

The company also said that it expected to report a quarterly loss of nearly $1 billion next week, mainly the result of a write-off of unsold BlackBerry phones, but also because of payments to stop manufacturers and suppliers from adding to the pile. And of its six phones that the company offers, two will be discontinued.

"This is a recognition that they lost the handset war," said James H Gellert, the chairman and chief executive of Rapid Ratings, an investment risk evaluation firm. "It's certainly a waving of the big white towel."

The company halted the trading of its shares to make the bleak announcement. It also said that revenue was expected to have been $1.6 billion in the second quarter, almost half of the $3 billion analysts had anticipated. Sales of phones during that time, it said, totaled 3.7 million. Apple, by comparison, sold 31.2 million iPhones during its last quarter.

More alarming to many analysts was BlackBerry's announcement that it had used about $500 million in cash to stay operating during the last quarter, lowering its cash holdings to $2.6 billion. Although the company has been losing market share for several years, it had managed to increase its cash holdings.

Shares in the company tumbled 17% for the day, to $8.73, nearly all of it after trading was resumed.

Four years ago, BlackBerry had 51% of the North American smartphone market, according to research firm Gartner. But the fast-changing industry, and in particular phones from Apple and Samsung, left the company behind.

"The rest of the smartphone world is racing ahead at top speed while we have BlackBerry stuttering to a stop," said Michael Gikas, senior editor for electronics at Consumer Reports.

BlackBerry's executives initially looked down on the move to making smartphones into pocket-size computers, which was pioneered by Apple's iPhone. But consumers preferred smartphones with full touch screens, multiple cameras and, most important, hundreds of thousands of apps. BlackBerry's devices largely stayed the same, often with half-screens and a physical keyboard, and its initial attempts at touchscreen phones were technological failures.

In January, the company introduced the BlackBerry 10 line of phones, which were based around an entirely new operating system of the same name and offered hardware features similar to devices from the market leaders.

But the new devices were unable to break the grip of Apple and Samsung. When the latest flagship phone in the line, the Z30, was announced this week, it caused hardly a ripple. Even BlackBerry seemed to have given up. Unlike with other phones in the series, the Z30 release came without any kind of public or flashy demonstration.

The failure of the BlackBerry 10 line of phones quickly led to speculation that the company, like Palm before it, would be broken apart and perhaps gradually disappear, at best lingering as little more than a brand name. This summer, BlackBerry announced that it was undertaking its second strategic review in less than a year. Unlike the earlier one, however, BlackBerry's executives did not rule out a sale of the company.

All of the uncertainty surrounding the company, several analysts said, probably made the company's problems even worse during the last quarter. Corporate and government information technology departments have held back on committing to BlackBerry 10 phones and, more important for BlackBerry, the corporate server software that supports them.

Consumers are often less sensitive to corporate problems. But Keith Lam, a managing partner at Red Sky Capital Management in Toronto, said that carriers appeared to be cutting back their BlackBerry 10 inventory to avoid being saddled with unwanted phones and reducing display space and promotions for the devices in stores.

"From that it kind of snowballs downward for BlackBerry," said Lam, whose firm does not manage any BlackBerry shares.

If, as many expect, BlackBerry is no longer in the handset business, the question becomes what remains of value to a potential investor.

Mike Lazaridis, the co-founder of BlackBerry who stepped down as co-chief executive in 2011, has reached out to private equity firms about a possible bid for the troubled company. But a private company would be up against some of the largest companies in the world, like Apple.

Even before Friday, many analysts had declared BlackBerry's hardware business to be worthless. There is no clear consensus, however, on the value of its other assets.

BlackBerry owns a secure global network that once provided it with a selling point for customers seeking security. But that highly centralized network is prone to occasional failures, is based on aging technology and has had its role reduced under BlackBerry 10.

The value of the company's patents, many of which it holds in partnerships with other technology companies, is also uncertain. The layoffs also suggest that BlackBerry will be forced to give up most of its research and development work, further clouding its value.

"The biggest problem is that they won't have money for R&D, and that's death for a tech company," said Neeraj Monga an analyst at Veritas Investment Research in Toronto, referring to research and development. "It's not like Coca-Cola, which has been able to bottle the same formula for over 100 years."


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BlackBerry co-founder may bid for company

NEW DELHI: Mike Lazaridis, the co-founder of BlackBerry who stepped down as co-chief executive in 2011, has reached out to private equity firms about a possible bid for the troubled company.

Lazaridis has separately approached the Blackstone Group and the Carlyle Group about making an offer, according to people familiar with the matter. These people cautioned, however, that the talks were preliminary and might not lead to any bids.

The potential of any effort to take BlackBerry private was muddied further Friday, as shares in the company tanked after the company announced quarterly revenue far below analysts' expectations. BlackBerry shares listed in the United States plunged 17.1 percent to $8.73.

Lazaridis could not be reached for comment. Blackstone and Carlyle declined to comment.

The Wall Street Journal reported news of the talks late Friday.

Private equity firms have been considering a bid for BlackBerry for more than a year, people familiar with the matter said. But as late as 18 months ago, buyout specialists evaluating the company saw few viable options for turning the slumping company around.

Lazaridis, who co-founded BlackBerry with a friend in 1985, remains one of the company's largest individual shareholders, and his stake would be helpful in any effort to take the company private.

Last year, Lazaridis and his partner, Jim Balsillie, stepped down as co-chief executives, ceding control to Thorsten Heins. The two men, who had run the company for decades, had come under pressure from disgruntled shareholders as BlackBerry continued to lose market share to rivals including the iPhone and phones using Google's Android software.

Speaking at the time of his departure last year, Lazaridis said, "In every successful company that's developed by founders, there comes a time when it enters a new phase of growth and it's time for the founders to pass the baton to new management."


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