Sponsoer by :

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Microsoft CEO takes CES stage amid tablet crush (AP) : Technet

Sponsored

Microsoft CEO takes CES stage amid tablet crush (AP) : Technet

Microsoft CEO takes CES stage amid tablet crush (AP)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 08:53 PM PST

By JESSICA MINTZ, AP Technology Writer Jessica Mintz, Ap Technology Writer – 14 mins ago

One year ago, Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer took the stage at the tech industry's premier gadget show to showcase a Windows tablet computer to an audience that had yet to meet the iPad.

This year, with tablets marking the hottest items at the show and Windows lagging far behind Apple Inc.'s popular iPad, the stakes were higher. Microsoft's status as a technology oracle, which guaranteed its spot delivering the trade show's night-before keynote each year, is slipping.

On Wednesday evening, Ballmer spent more time talking about such existing products the Xbox video game system and Windows Phone 7 smart phone software than he did tablets. Even Surface, Microsoft's giant coffee-table-sized touch-screen computing system, got more attention.

Beyond tablets, there are other major themes emerging at this year's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas — areas where Microsoft has also failed to take the lead despite spending years developing products.

Among them: smart phones and Internet television, two areas where Google Inc. and Apple, which aren't even attending the trade show, are getting most of the buzz.

Gadget makers including AsusTek Computer Inc. and Vizio Inc., the TV company, have already unveiled new tablet computers this week, and more were expected from the likes of Motorola Inc., Dell Inc. and Toshiba Corp. Many of the new tablets will use Android, Google Inc.'s operating software that was initially designed for smart phones.

So far, none of the tablets running Microsoft's Windows 7 have made waves with mainstream consumers. That may be true for a while longer — tablets seemed to be almost an afterthought for Ballmer on Wednesday. The CEO left it to an employee to demonstrate a Windows 7 tablet from Taiwan's Asus that responds to touch and a special pen, and that comes with a wireless keyboard.

While Windows 7 remains a question mark for its prospects as a tablet system, Microsoft began talking Wednesday about the next version, which is expected to be called Windows 8 and to launch in 2012.

Microsoft showed a very early build of the next Windows, including a version that runs on cell phone chips, providing an alternative for the first time in many years to the chips based on Intel Corp. technology. At the moment, most tablet computers including the iPad use that type of chip, which consumes less energy and allows for longer battery life.

"Whatever device you use, now or in the future, Windows will be there," Ballmer said.

This year's trade show, which runs Thursday to Sunday, will also see TV makers adjusting strategies for selling 3-D televisions after a year of tepid sales. LG Electronics Inc. said Wednesday it will be among the TV makers switching from sets that require expensive battery-powered glasses to ones that work with cheaper glasses like those used in movie theaters.

For Microsoft, a software maker, Internet-connected televisions or set-top boxes from competitors such as Google and Apple are more of a concern. Microsoft has had an Internet TV system for many years, but its customers have been telecommunications companies that repackaged the service to their own subscribers — not consumers directly. Google and Apple, however, have gone straight to consumers with Internet TV offerings under their own brands, while Microsoft has stuck with the Xbox as its main entertainment play.

Ballmer said Microsoft sold 8 million of its new Kinect sensor, an add-on for Xbox 360 that lets people control games and other features by moving around and speaking. That's 3 million more than expected in Kinect's first two months on the market.

The CEO himself demonstrated new Kinect avatar software that will more closely mimic game players' behaviors and facial expressions after an update this spring.

Microsoft also said that this spring, people who have Xbox and Kinect will be able to wave their hands or speak aloud to browse and play video from NetFlix and Hulu.

This was Ballmer's third year leading the gadget show address. He took the mantle from Microsoft co-founder and chairman, Bill Gates, who had used the stage for the preceding 10 years to talk about his vision for the future of technology.

Gates used the opportunity to predict the rise of PCs in U.S. homes, the arrival of portable touch screens that would display Internet content and music streamed from a home PC and the advent of even simple gadgets such as pens that can connect to the Internet.

He was not always right about the timing, or the specific device or software that would bring about the revolution.

A most memorable case in point: the tablet computer. Gates talked about it a decade ago, but it is only in the last year that the tablet — a slim touch-screen computer with no keyboard — has caught consumers' imaginations in a big way.

Ballmer took over Gates' role as CEO but not as company visionary; as such, his pronouncements have not seemed as grand or oracle-like. But people will be paying particularly close attention this year, seeking signs that Microsoft has made progress since Ballmer took the stage one year ago.

During the keynote, a Microsoft employee walked the audience through the features in Windows Phone 7, the company's answer to the iPhone and Android that launched toward the end of 2010. Microsoft said it will update the phone software in the next few months to make it faster and to support copying and pasting. Windows Phone 7 devices will also become available for Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc. networks.

Windows Phone 7 has a lot of catching up to do in terms of both the number of users and the number of "apps" available for the phones. On Wednesday, handset makers Motorola Mobility Inc., HTC Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. showed off several upcoming smart phones that will run on AT&T Inc.'s higher-speed "HSPA+" network. All the phones will run a version of Android, not Windows.

Microsoft also showed an updated version of Surface, with new technology that lets thin LCD screens recognize objects placed on top without the use of cameras.

Qualcomm makes $3.2B buy to ride new gadget wave (AP)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 05:34 PM PST

By ANDREW VANACORE, AP Business Writer Andrew Vanacore, Ap Business Writer – Wed Jan 5, 8:34 pm ET

NEW YORK – Tech companies are sweating it out to keep ahead of what consumers want from their gadgets. Just look at Qualcomm Inc., which struck a $3.2 billion deal Wednesday in hopes of tapping into the explosion of Wi-Fi connected devices such as tablet computers and TVs.

Qualcomm is a pioneer in the cell phone industry — if you have a Verizon or Sprint phone, a piece of its silicon is probably helping you access the Web, get e-mail and make calls. But the company decided it needed to buy Wi-Fi chip maker Atheros Communications Inc. to ensure that it didn't miss the next big leap in connectivity.

Apple Inc. has sold more than 7 million iPads and imitators are lining up even now to show off competing tablets at this week's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Most of them will connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi, even if many of them can also use a cellular network.

Electronics we don't often associate with the Web are starting to connect as well. Atheros has chips that go into TVs and even wireless Nintendo games.

"Almost everything now seems to have Wi-Fi in it," said Jeff Brown, a vice president at UBM TechInsights. And at Qualcomm, Wi-Fi technology was "one of their major holes."

Other companies across the sector are using cash in the same way, filling strategic gaps as consumers and businesses shift the way they use technology.

Intel Corp., the world's biggest provider of computer processors — the "brains" inside PCs — has used acquisitions to catch up in the mobile computing market. Back-office technology providers including IBM Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and EMC Corp. have been snapping up companies that help store, analyze and protect the troves of data produced by businesses and government agencies.

In buying Atheros, Qualcomm will become a one-stop shop for gadget makers who want both cellular and Wi-Fi capability, giving it a competitive edge.

"Companies that make devices want to go to one company and get everything they need," said Linley Gwennap, an expert on mobile chips and founder of The Linley Group research firm. "The consumer market moves so fast, these companies don't have time to piece together a lot of components from different companies and make it work."

Qualcomm rose $1.06, or 2.1 percent, to $52.03 in trading Wednesday.

Qualcomm said it has agreed to pay $45 per share for Atheros, a premium of 22 percent over the company's closing share price Monday, the last trading day before The New York Times reported the deal. Atheros shares rose sharply Tuesday and closed at $44.64 on Wednesday.

The boards of both companies have approved the deal, though it still requires approval by Atheros shareholders and regulatory clearance. Qualcomm expects to close the acquisition in the first half of this year.

The company said Atheros CEO Craig H. Barratt will continue to lead the business as a Qualcomm division called Networking and Connectivity.

Atheros was founded in 1998 by Stanford University President John L. Hennessy and Teresa H. Meng, a colleague from Stanford's engineering department.

It has grown quickly over the past few years. The company booked $542 million in revenue in fiscal 2009, up from $472 million the year before. For the year that just ended, analysts expect $922 million.

Atheros and Qualcomm have already been working together to integrate their products.

Mario Morales, an analyst at the research firm IDC, speculates that Qualcomm finally decided on an outright takeover because "someone else wanted to step in." An acquisition by a competitor would have left Qualcomm to find another partner for Wi-Fi, he said.

The deal is also a tacit admission by Qualcomm that its in-house efforts to develop Wi-Fi technology — starting with its 2006 acquisition of a company called Airgo Networks — fell short, analysts said.

"I don't understand why they've struggled so much," said Gwennap, from The Linley Group. "But for whatever reason Qualcomm has not been able to get the Wi-Fi thing to work well."

Barratt, Atheros' CEO, responded to the criticism in a conference call with analysts, saying the acquisition "has nothing to do with the Wi-Fi capability on Qualcomm's side having any issues or challenges." Instead Barratt said the deal is strictly aimed at pushing Wi-Fi on new devices.

___

AP Technology Writer Jordan Robertson contributed reporting from San Francisco.

TV makers to put out 3-D sets with cheaper glasses (AP)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 06:11 PM PST

By PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer Peter Svensson, Ap Technology Writer – 2 hrs 56 mins ago

LAS VEGAS – TV makers are blaming disappointing sales of 3-D TVs last year in part on the bulky glasses they came with. They're trying to tackle that this year by introducing sets that work with lighter, cheaper glasses of the kind used in movie theaters.

Manufacturers don't plan to completely supplant the 3-D TVs that require the heavier, battery-powered glasses, which went on sale last year for the first time. But Samsung Electronics Co. estimates 1 million 3-D sets were sold in the U.S in 2010, far short of its initial estimate of 3 million to 4 million, and the introduction of a competing technology a year later is another sign that the first 3-D TVs didn't live up to expectations.

LG Electronics Inc. was the first major TV to announce new 3-D sets Wednesday, a day ahead of the opening of the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. LG, a South Korean company, said it will start selling two models, a 47-inch and a 65-inch one, later this year that use the lighter, cheaper glasses. Each will include four pairs. Current 3-D sets usually include one or two pairs of the bulkier glasses; some don't include any, requiring consumers to pay about $100 per pair.

"We're meeting consumers' needs by eliminating some of the pain points" by addressing the 3-D glasses issue, said Tim Alessi, director of new product development at LG Electronics USA. "It's going to be the most comfortable viewing experience, just like going to the movies."

Vizio Inc., one of the largest sellers of TVs in the U.S. but not a leader in the high end of the market, which includes 3-D sets, announced in December that it would sell a 65-inch 3-D set with the lighter glasses.

The two types of glasses are called "active" and "passive," and each has its benefits and drawbacks.

Last year's TVs relied on active glasses, which have battery-powered shutters that alternately black out each of the eyes to create the 3-D effect. They worked with some high-end flat-panel TVs with little modification required, but they require periodic charging. They also darken the image and may make it flicker.

The lighter glasses, called passive, are not much different from polarized sunglasses. They don't cause video to flicker, and glasses from any manufacturer will work with sets from another manufacturer, or in movie theaters. They don't block as much light as the active shutters, either. However, they only work with LCD TVs that have an extra layer to the screen, and in LG's implementation, the passive glasses cut the resolution of the image in half.

Not all major manufacturers are on board with the new screen technology. Panasonic Corp., which along with Samsung pioneered 3-D TVs last year, is sticking to active glasses.

Paul Gray, an analyst from the research group DisplaySearch, said the dearth of 3-D movies and TV channels, rather than the glasses, was the main factor holding back the market.

"TV manufacturers really got ahead of themselves in 2010, and they forgot that a TV is a tool to watch content," Gray said.

DisplaySearch estimates 3.2 million 3-D sets were sold worldwide last year. Going forward, the research group seems confident that the content will come, and predicts the number of 3-D TVs sold will grow to 18 million this year.

Samsung announced Tuesday that it's developing 3-D sets for passive glasses with RealD Inc., which controls patents on 3-D technology. Unlike LG's new TV sets, these would provide a 3-D picture at full resolution through the inclusion of some added electronics in the set. Samsung didn't announce specific models or a launch date.

Further out, there's the prospect of 3-D TVs that don't require glasses, as demonstrated by Toshiba Corp. Tuesday. However, the image quality on these early models is poorer than with TVs that use glasses. The TVs also limit where viewers can sit or stand; outside those areas, the 3-D effect doesn't work and the picture looks fuzzy. Toshiba aims to have sets on the market late this year or early next year.

Sony Corp. said it's also working on glasses-free 3-D sets, but appears to be further from commercialization.

Glasses-free displays work better at small sizes, where the limited viewing "zones" are less of a concern. Sony said it was making a portable 3-D glasses-free Blu-ray disc player with a 10-inch screen. Nintendo Corp.'s new handheld game gadget will also have a 3-D screen.

Toshiba is demonstrating a laptop at the show with a no-glasses 3-D screen. It's not a first — Sharp sold such laptops in 2003. Toshiba's version improves on Sharp's by tracking the viewer's eyes to help make the 3-D effect more consistent. Toshiba said the laptop is a prototype, and has no firm marketing plans. Laptops and standalone computer monitors compatible with 3-D glasses have been available for years, but haven't caught on.

Sony demonstrated a prototype of another 3-D viewing system that's "all glasses and no TV." It's a big visor that covers the eyes, containing two small displays, one for each eye. Together, they produce a 3-D effect. Such "head-mounted displays" that present 2-D images have been available for some years, but the low resolution produced by the small displays has limited their popularity. Sony is using a new display technology, organic light-emitting diodes, that may provide a better experience.

Hands-on with the BlackBerry PlayBook (Ben Patterson)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 07:31 PM PST

By Ben Patterson ben Patterson – 1 hr 36 mins ago

RIM execs are still being cagey about exactly when the BlackBerry PlayBook will arrive—or how much it will cost, for that matter—but at least they let me give their upcoming tablet a brief test drive here in Las Vegas, on the eve of CES.

Boasting dual cameras and a 1GHz dual-core Cortex A9 processor, and due to arrive in the first quarter of the year (for a "competitive" price, I'm told), the seven-inch PlayBook (which was first announced last September) felt relatively peppy and responsive, even given the somewhat rough-and-ready software build upon which it was running.

Physically speaking, the 0.9-pound PlayBook felt a bit heavy in my hands, as did the similarly sized, one-poundish Samsung Galaxy Tab. Then again, the PlayBook is still a half-pound ligher than the 9.7-inch iPad, and it's much easier to grip. Tapping out messages on the virtual QWERTY keypad was a bit tricky, especially given that error correction had yet to be installed in the early test unit that was on hand.

As with the Apple iPad or the recent Samsung Galaxy Tab, the PlayBook greets you with a familiar icon-driven main menu, with a small power button and play/pause and volume controls sitting along the top edge of the slate. To wake the PlayBook, just press the power button, make a two-inch swipe on the sleeping display.

OK, but where's the Home key? Well, there isn't one. Instead, you just flick upwards from the bottom of the 1024-by-600 display to reveal the PlayBook's app switcher, then flick from the left or right edge of the screen to switch from one app to another. Want to quit an app? Just flick up on the icon from within the switcher to make it disappear.

If this sounds familiar, perhaps you're thinking of the innovative card-based application handler in WebOS, which works in much the same way. (RIM reps denied that WebOS served as an inspiration for the PlayBook's new app switcher.)

Another cool UI feature is the ability to call up additional menu functions in an app by swiping down from the top of the screen, a handy replacement for the dedicated "menu" button on Android smartphones.

What's the trick behind all the screen swiping? Apparently, the PlayBook's touch-sensitive area extends a few millimeters beyond the display and into the front bezel. Nice—and again, very WebOS-like.

I also got a quick demo of the PlayBook's Flash capabilities, and yes, you can play YouTube videos on a Web relatively smoothly, even when the browser window is minimized in the tablet's app switcher. OK, but how about playback of, say, 1080p Flash video? Good question, said the RIM execs I spoke with, who promised to look into it. (Granted, there's not much point in viewing a 1080p video on a seven-inch display, but hey—no harm in asking.)

Another impressive display of the PlayBook's processing chops was a rough port of nothing less than Quake III, which someone had cobbled together for demo purposes. Indeed, Quake III on the PlayBook looked pretty much like the game I've often played on a PC—smooth and speedy, although fragging opponents with the virtual joysticks was a bit of a drag. Still ... nice.

And what of all the controversy surrounding the PlayBook's battery life—or alleged lack thereof? "Completely absurd," I'm told, with RIM reps noting that power management will be among the last of the features built into the PlayBook's software.

While early PlayBook builds are, indeed, getting only a few hours of juice out of their batteries, a full eight hours of "usable" battery life is the "absolutely attainable" goal. Whether RIM engineers actually hit their eight-hour target, however, remains to be seen.

Other PlayBook features that we'd already known about include its dual cameras—a five-megapixel lens in front and a 3MP snapper in back, both capable of 1080p video capture—as well as a micro-HDMI port that'll handle 1080p-quality output.

The PlayBook's OS, as we've heard, won't be a variant of the new BlackBerry OS but rather a new platform designed by the RIM-owned QNX. And in addition to its Flash capabilities, the PlayBook's browser will be HTML5-friendly.

The existing Wi-Fi-only PlayBook won't connect to wireless 3G networks like the Galaxy Tab and iPad can, but it will sync up with a nearby BlackBerry smartphone and piggyback onto its cellular data connection. Future versions of the PlayBook will boast 3G and even 4G support, RIM said back when it first announced the tablet.

So, will the PlayBook successfully launch RIM into the tablet "space," as we say in the tech biz? Good question. I'd be nuts to render a definitive opinion on the PlayBook based on a brief hands-on with an early test unit, but from what I've seen so far, the PlayBook—particularly thanks to its flickable "Home" and "Menu" controls—looks promising.

Again, still no word on exactly when the PlayBook will arrive or how much it will cost, although RIM co-CEO Jim Basille promised back in November that it would cost less than $500.

— Ben Patterson is a technology writer for Yahoo! News.

Follow me on Twitter!

Motorola, LG announce first Android “Honeycomb” tablets (Ben Patterson)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 06:37 PM PST

By Ben Patterson ben Patterson – 2 hrs 30 mins ago

After weeks of anticipation, Motorola finally took the wraps off its red-hot, 10.1-inch Android 3.0 tablet, and it's a beaut—what we saw of it, anyway. Meanwhile, T-Mobile announced its own upcoming "Honeycomb" tablet, the G-Slate from LG.

Motorola execs wouldn't let those of us at its packed CES press conference Wednesday handle its new slate, dubbed Xoom, because Google is still putting the finishing touches on Honeycomb, the first tablet-oriented version of the Android OS.

Indeed, the Xoom looks to be the first tablet to run Honeycomb (a.k.a. Android 3.0), which boasts a series of enhancements (like a pumped-up Google Maps app, improved home-screen widgets, a two-column e-mail view, and a snazzy full-screen version of Google Books) that take advantage of a larger, slate-style display.

But don't worry, we'll be getting quality time with the Xoom soon enough.

Armed with a dual-core processor (1 GHz per core), dual cameras, and a 10.1-inch 1280 by 800 display, the 3G-enabled version of the Xoom will land in Verizon Wireless' lineup in the first quarter—followed by a 4G LTE version in the second quarter of the year, with Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha pledging that the older 3G Xooms will be upgradable to 4G once the LTE versions arrive.

How much will the Xoom cost? No word on that, beyond a promise that it will be "competitively" priced.

Among the Xoom's features are those two cameras: a 5MP lens in back (capable of shooting 780p video), along with a 2MP camera in front for video chat.

The "true" HD display boasts a 16:10 display to cut down on letterboxing when watching movies and video, Moto execs said, while accelerometers and gyroscopes will be at the ready for gamers.

While those of us in attendance at Motorola's presser weren't allowed to handle the Xoom ourselves, Moto reps were showing off the Xoom in a demonstration area. The tablet certainly looks sleek enough, and as promised when Google exec Andy Rubin teased it last month, it has no buttons at all in front—not even a "Home" button.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the actual Honeycomb interface in action; instead, all we saw were canned, full-screen videos of what the revamped Android features will look like.

Not to be left out of the tablet action, T-Mobile went ahead and announced its own Honeycomb-powered tablet: the LG-designed G-Slate.

Want more details? Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until a "later date" for the goods, with T-Mobile's press release revealing almost nothing about the new tablet except for the name and the fact that it runs on the upcoming Honeycomb version of Android.

There's also an official G-Slate teaser on YouTube, but it doesn't do much to clear up the mystery. Here it is, for what it's worth:

In any case, LG execs said during their morning press conference Wednesday that they would unveil their upcoming Android tablet tomorrow, so I suspect we'll have our answers in a matter of hours.

— Ben Patterson is a technology writer for Yahoo! News.

Follow me on Twitter!

Sony beefs up content for 3D, pushes connected TV (Reuters)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 08:53 PM PST

– 15 mins ago

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – Sony Corp reaffirmed its commitment to 3D technology on Wednesday, saying it would provide more content and launch 3D cameras and camcorders.

In a splashy presentation at which Chief Executive Howard Stringer appeared on stage in a car from the upcoming 3D action film "The Green Hornet," alongside the film's stars, the company also announced a deal with Time Warner Cable to provide content across a range of Sony's connected products.

"2011 begins the next phase of our 3D strategy, a year in which 3D becomes personal," Sony CEO Howard Stringer told reporters at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. "Imagine watching your child's soccer games in 3D."

Sony also plans to launch a 24-hour 3D television channel in partnership with Discovery and IMAX Corp this year, Stringer said. He reeled off a list of Sony 3D movies to come, including "Men in Black 3" and the next installment of the "Spiderman" series.

Japanese rivals Sharp and Panasonic are beefing up their connected TV offerings in a bid to merge the features of PCs and televisions, but Stringer said the scale of Sony's user base would make its connected TVs a success.

"As was once said about our famous Japanese icon Godzilla, size does matter," Stringer said.

He said by March, more than 50 million television screens in U.S. homes alone will be Internet-abled via Sony Playstation 3 game consoles, Sony Internet TVs and Sony Wifi Blu-ray players.

Sony has sealed a deal with Time Warner Cable to provide content, executives said at the presentation.

(Editing by Chris Gallagher)

Motorola gadget to make smartphones like computers (Reuters)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 08:42 PM PST

By Sinead Carew Sinead Carew – 25 mins ago

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Its dumb and its called a lapdoc but Motorola Mobility bets consumers will want to use this gadget to make their smartphones work more like real computers and help Motorola stand out from the crowd.

The company that invented the cellphone unveiled the Atrix 4G phone, which will attach to a new type of accessory called a lapdoc -- a "dumb" device that looks like a laptop computer but does not work without the phone attached. It has a laptop size screen and a keyboard aimed at better Web browsing, video viewing and typing than on a phone.

Chief Executive Sanjay Jha told Reuters in an interview at the Consumer Electronics Show that he aims to develop slimmer lapdocs onto which consumers could attach multiple phones.

While consumers can use smartphones for a lot of computing activities such as web browsing, Jha said they need more than this for long emails or watching a movie on a plane.

"I like it a lot because all we've done is added accessories to our devices and added applications that change the way you can use them," Jha said. "I think we've a chance of differentiating ourselves."

After the product unveiling in a big packed room where attendees cheered and clapped after seeing the demonstration Jha said he already has plans in place to expand the line up.

"If you wait you miss the slot, so you have to commit," he said.

The No. 2 U.S. mobile provider AT&T Inc highlighted Atrix at its product showcase earlier in the day and said it would sell it at a "competitive price" starting this quarter.

MARKETING HIKE

Motorola will also try to boost sales in the new product category with a marketing splash on the Atrix and lapdoc, which are so unusual, they need to be explained more carefully to consumers than typical phones, Jha said.

But Chief Marketing Officer Bill Ogle told Reuters that while Motorola will spend "dramatically more" on marketing this year it will still be a relatively small amount versus spending on devices like Razr, its flagship phone from 2004 to 2006.

Jha said Motorola Mobility, which was newly created a day before January 4 as a spin off from Motorola Inc, would be cautious not to over-extend itself this year. The executive has revamped the company in the last two years by focusing solely on smartphones based on Google Inc's Android software.

With this in mind Jha said Motorola would not branch into new operating systems such as Windows Phone 7 from Microsoft Corp and will instead continue to focus on building Android phones for the foreseeable future.

Motorola will also keep its device lineup the same size or smaller than its 2010 range of 23 phone models, Jha said.

"We think more and more than doing fewer devices better is more important that doing lots of devices," Jha said noting that some mid-range devices made less of a financial contribution than Motorola had expected last year. He did not give details about these phones.

Jha said the company would launch a range of tablet computers this year. The top two U.S. mobile operators Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc both said they would sell Motorola tablets, which compete with the Apple Inc iPad.

Jha had a positive outlook for the industry in 2011.

"It looks like 2011, at a macro economic level, will be good. And as I look at the quality of developments, the competition between carriers and between handset makers, it kind of feels like 2011 should be a exciting year," Jha said.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Gary Hill)

RIM says huge corporate interest PlayBook tablet (Reuters)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 08:28 PM PST

By Gabriel Madway Gabriel Madway – 40 mins ago

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – Research in Motion showed off the capabilities of its new tablet device, and called corporate interest in the device "massive."

RIM for the first time on Wednesday provided a hands-on demonstration of the PlayBook, a seven-inch touchscreen tablet that will go head-to-head with Apple's iPad when it ships, likely in March.

"In large companies, they're talking deployment in the tens of thousands," said Jeff McDowell, senior vice president of enterprise and platform marketing for RIM.

RIM's tablet is perhaps the most anticipated iPad rival in a sea of new competitors bent on challenging Apple and stealing a piece of a fast-growing market that is expected to top 50 million units next year.

For a graph comparing global PCs sales and projections for tablets, click here: http://r.reuters.com/tub84r

The PlayBook performed smoothly as it went through its paces, loading websites and applications quickly and playing Flash-based videos on the Internet with ease.

The software allows for multi-tasking and features a rotating "carousel" that shows all the programs that the device is running. A simple finger swipe up brings up the home screen, while a swipe out closes programs.

There has been plenty of debate in recent weeks about the PlayBook's battery life, a key point of competition in the tablet market. The 10-inch iPad boasts 10 hours of battery life.

McDowell said the PlayBook's battery will last as long or longer than other 7-inch tablets, although he declined to be more specific.

He said concerns about Flash programs draining battery life were "absurd generalizations."

RIM is betting that its reputation for security and reliability will make the PlayBook a favorite in corporate IT departments.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has singled out the PlayBook for criticism, saying that seven-inch tablets will be "dead on arrival" when they hit the market.

RIM has plenty riding on the PlayBook. Once a darling of Wall Street, the company is having a hard time convincing investors that it is well-positioned to combat Apple and Google in the booming market for smartphones and tablets.

Shares in RIM spiked sharply in heavy volume in the last hour of Nasdaq trade to end the session 4.8 percent higher at $61.92. RIM's Toronto Stock Exchange-listed shares closed 4.4 percent higher at C$61.70.

(Reporting by Gabriel Madway)

Microsoft sold over 8 million Kinects in 60 days: CEO (Reuters)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 07:54 PM PST

– 1 hr 13 mins ago

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – Microsoft Corp sold more than 8 million of its Xbox Kinect motion-sensing game system in its first 60 days since launch, outpacing its target of 5 million and outshining Sony Corp's competing Move.

The Japanese electronics maker sold 4.1 million units of its Move, which like the Kinect tracks body gestures for video games, in its first two months. However, that figure did not take into account the peak December holiday shopping month.

Sony launched the Move controller -- a wand-like device that allows users to control on-screen gaming action -- in September in North America and in October in Japan. The device costs $50 for the controller or $400 bundled with a PlayStation 3. Microsoft's Kinect, launched in early November, costs $150 or $300 bundled with a 4 gigabyte Xbox console.

Chief Executive Steve Ballmer also told the Consumer Electronics Show that Sprint and Verizon Wireless will begin carrying phones based on its fledgling Windows Phone 7 operating software from this year's first half. (Reporting by Bill Rigby; Editing by Lincoln Feast)

LG unveils first tablet through T-Mobile USA (Reuters)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 07:42 PM PST

– 1 hr 26 mins ago

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – LG Electronics unveiled its first tablet, running on Google's Android platform, through T-Mobile USA, as it seeks to grab some share of the emerging tablet market from Apple.

LG plans to sell the 8.9-inch tablet, based on Google's forthcoming Android version of Honeycomb, in the next few months through the fourth-largest U.S. mobile carrier before launching the delayed product globally.

The South Korean firm said ahead of a joint announcement on Thursday with T-Mobile USA, a unit of Deutsche Telekom, that the device will be branded as the T-Mobile G-Slate and uses Nvidia's dual core processor.

Toshiba is also set to show off a 10-inch tablet running on Honeycomb this week at the Consumer Electronics Show, making its foray into the tablet war.

Global tablet sales are expected to explode to more than 50 million in 2011, as rivals including Research In Motion Ltd and Hewlett-Packard Co launch new devices.

Apple, which sold more than 12 million iPads in 2010, according to analysts' estimates, is expected to dominate the market in the near term. Rival tablets that have already launched from companies like Samsung Electronics Co and Dell have not been able to beat Apple on price point.

Tablets and smartphones are key for LG to revive its loss-making handset business, ranked the world's third largest.

Its mobile division reported a record loss in July-September, hit by a weak lineup of smartphones and growing development and marketing costs to prop up faltering sales of low-priced models.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew and Miyoung Kim; Editing by Anshuman Daga)

Samsung, LG place 3D bets with cheaper TVs (Reuters)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 07:25 PM PST

By Miyoung Kim Miyoung Kim – 1 hr 42 mins ago

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics trotted out bigger and thinner 3D TVs on Wednesday as they laid out plans to expand their lineups further to spur demand for a nascent technology that has seen weak sales so far.

Global major TV makers are betting aggressively on 3D and Internet-connected televisions as intense price competition in the flat-panel market erodes profitability.

But it remains unclear if sales of these newest TVs will take off. Sales of much-hyped 3D and connected TVs failed to meet expectations last year, with available content still sparse and many consumers holding off on purchases after having just upgraded to their first flat-screen sets.

Some producers, led by Japan's Toshiba, are introducing glasses-free 3D sets, which could also deter consumers from switching to 3D sets by stoking expectations such technology may come soon.

"Our 3D models were limited to three last year and they were mainly aimed at the high-end segment. We plan to extend lineups to offer more affordable products," Lee Kyung-shik, vice president of Samsung's TV business, said at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

LG Electronics will introduce six 3D product lineups this year and aggressively push for a new 3D technology to challenge bigger rival Samsung, and to make the premium segment more affordable.

It introduced a set that uses a new display called film patterend retarder (FPR), developed by affiliate LG Display, the world's No.2 maker of liquid crystal displays.

BETTER QUALITY

LG said the new technology will address consumer concerns over blurry and flickering images that previous 3D technology gained notoriety for, and yield glasses two to three times lighter than previous bulky eyewear and free of signal chips, chargers or power switches.

"This year we'll be introducing a new type of 3D technology...offering a wide range of angles, brighter pictures and zero flickering. Glasses are light at 16 grams and you never need charging... This is not just marketing talk," LG Electronics Chief Technology Officer Skott Ahn told reporters.

On top of a lack of available content, the need for special glasses has been a major factor hindering sales of 3D TVs, but rival companies have said the viewing angle for glasses-free technology is now too restrictive.

But LG Display said it has already forged supply deals for its new 3D panels with LG Electronics, Vizio Inc, Philips Electronics and Toshiba, raising the stakes in a head-on competition with Samsung, the world's top maker of TV and LCD screen.

LG Display expects the 3D TV market to grow sharply this year to account for more than 10 percent of total LCD TV shipments, which are estimated at 220 million units.

LG Electronics, the No.2 flat screen TV maker, is also making a big push toward 3D and connected television to meet its 40 million-unit target for flat-screen TV sales this year.

In Las Vegas, LG introduced an add-on upgrade box, which allows consumers with conventional TVs to transform their sets into connected TVs, targeting those who may have just bought their flat-screen TVs in recent years and don't want to spend again to snap up new televisions.

(Editing by Edwin Chan and Anshuman Daga)

Motorola Debuts Android Honeycomb Tablet at CES (Mashable)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 12:11 PM PST

Jolie O'Dell Jolie O'dell – Wed Jan 5, 3:11 pm ET

We've heard about it; we've seen glimpses of it. Today, Motorola has finally revealed Xoom, its first Android-powered tablet.

And yes, it runs on Honeycomb, the fabled, forked version of AndroidAndroid intended for tablets.

At today's Motorola press conference at CES, CEO Sanjay Jha introduced the tablet. It features a 1080p screen resolution, front and rear facing cameras, and an accelerometer.

Here are more specs from Motorola:

Motorola Xoom... allows consumers to experience HD content right on the device, supports 1080p HD video and HDMI output to display content on larger HD screens, and plays video and other rich web content seamlessly with Adobe Flash PlayerAdobe Flash Player.

Motorola Xoom features a front-facing, 2-megapixel camera for video chats over Wi-Fi or 3G/4G LTE, as well as a rear-facing, 5-megapixel camera that captures video in 720p HD.

It delivers console-like gaming performance on its 1280x800 display, and features a built-in gyroscope, barometer, e-compass, accelerometer and adaptive lighting for new types of applications. It also features Google MapsGoogle Maps 5.0 with 3D interaction and delivers access to over 3 million GoogleGoogle eBooks and thousands of apps from Android MarketAndroid Market.

The OS and device support multitasking and real-time widgets. Jha said Xoom will be "the most competitive tablet on the market."

Expect to see 3G and Wi-Fi-enabled Xoom units be the end of Q1 2011. Units with 4G connectivity should be available sometime in Q2.

Xoom wil launch on Verizon.

We learned late last summer that Honeycomb would be a tablets-only OS. While other manufacturers were rolling out tablets with 1.X and 2.X OSes, Motorola held out for the 3.0 fork.

As one Google exec stated, Froyo (Android 2.2) and earlier versions are simply "not optimised for use on tablets… If you want Android Market on that platform [a tablet running Froyo], the apps just wouldn't run, it is just not designed for that form factor."

We're hoping the wait for Google's tablet-approved OS will be worthwhile. Early last month, we saw Google showing off the Motorola prototype running Honeycomb -- not too long before Motorola started dropping hints about tablet launches for CES.

We'll let you know more about Xoom, including pricing and availability, as details become available. Stay tuned for more CES coverage on MashableMashable.

CES: Motorola Atrix brings Angry Birds to big screen (Appolicious)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 07:07 PM PST

Motorola unveils tablet computer, the Xoom (AFP)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 07:42 PM PST

by Chris Lefkow Chris Lefkow – 1 hr 24 mins ago

LAS VEGAS (AFP) – US telecom maker Motorola Mobility has jumped into the bustling tablet computer market with a touchscreen device powered by "Honeycomb," the latest version of Google's Android software.

Sanjay Jha, the chief executive of Motorola Mobility, also presented three new Android-powered touchscreen smartphones to reporters on the eve of the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Motorola Mobility's hotly awaited tablet computer, the "Xoom," will be available in the first quarter of the year, Jha said.

With a 10.1-inch (25.6-centimeter) screen, the Xoom is about the same size as Apple's iPad, which hit stores in April and has other leading technology companies around the world scrambling to catch up.

More than 100 firms are expected to unveil tablet computers at CES, which officially opens on Thursday and features more than 2,600 exhibitors of the latest gadgets.

Jha said the Xoom will be the first tablet computer to hit stores featuring Android 3.0, or Honeycomb, an operating system developed with tablets in mind instead of smartphones.

"It's been designed ground up for the tablet, the user interface, the whole interaction," Jha said. "It has multi-tasking capability."

"All of these things, I think, deliver an experience which make Android 3.0 on our tablet probably in my opinion the most competitive product in the marketplace," he said.

Jha pointed out several features on the Xoom that the iPad does not have including front- and rear-facing cameras and the ability to play Adobe Flash video software, which is banned from the Apple device.

He said the first Xooms to hit the market will feature 3G connectivity to the Internet through US carrier Verizon Wireless. A 4G Xoom will come out later in the year and 3G versions can be upgraded to 4G.

Jha also unveiled three new smartphones, the Atrix 4G, available through US telecom giant AT&T in the first quarter of the year, the Cliq 2 and the Droid Bionic.

A laptop dock for the Atrix 4G allows a user to connect the phone to a computer monitor and surf the Web using a full Firefox desktop browser.

The Cliq 2, available through Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile in the United States from January 19, features a slide-out keyboard and was described as a device offering "business-ready features and robust entertainment options."

The Bionic Droid, which will be available in the second quarter of the year, is designed specifically for Verizon's 4G network, which was launched in December and currently covers about one-third of the US population.

It offers mobile Internet speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G and will, for example, allow high-quality streaming of television shows.

Chief executive Jha rolled out the new products here a day after the Illinois-based Motorola split into two companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions.

Motorola Mobility will focus on mobility, the Internet and computing markets while Motorola Solutions will target next-generation communications solutions to government, public safety and enterprise customers.

Motorola unveils 4G Android tablet for Verizon (AP)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 06:37 PM PST

By RACHEL METZ, AP Technology Writer Rachel Metz, Ap Technology Writer – 2 hrs 30 mins ago

LAS VEGAS – Motorola Mobility Inc. is rolling out to roll out a tablet computer that will run on Verizon Wireless' new next-generation wireless network and use an upcoming version of Google Inc.'s Android software designed for such devices.

CEO Sanjay Jha showed off the Xoom along with several upcoming smart phones during a news conference Wednesday in advance of the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The tablet will come with a 10.1-inch high-definition screen, dual-core processor, front-facing camera for video chatting and a 5-megapixel camera that can take high-definition videos. It will support Flash video content — something Apple Inc.'s iPad does not do — and can work as a Wi-Fi hotspot to connect up to five more gadgets to the Internet.

It will also have Honeycomb, a version of Android that has been designed for the larger touch screens on tablets. Current versions of Android are meant more for the smaller touch screens on smart phones.

In a demo of the software, the Xoom's screen appeared to look more like a computer desktop than a smart phone screen, and Web surfing looked more as it does on a full-sized computer than on a mobile device. Jha said Honeycomb will include a redesigned version of YouTube and the ability to make video calls through Google Talk.

"The user interface, the whole interactive model is designed for the tablet," he said.

The Xoom will begin selling in the first quarter. Initially it will work with Verizon's 3G network and will be upgradeable so it can work on its new 4G network in the second quarter.

Verizon began deploying its new network last year. It uses LTE, or Long-Term Evolution, technology, which is a standard technology behind the next-generation cellular networks, known as 4G. It is designed from the ground up to carry data. Network operators expect not just higher speeds but lower operational costs with LTE.

Motorola Mobility, which is consumer-focused and split from the enterprise-focused portion of Motorola on Tuesday, was not the only company to trot out a Honeycomb tablet Wednesday: T-Mobile USA Inc. and LG Mobile Phones said T-Mobile will start selling the G-Slate in the coming months.

The G-Slate will run on T-Mobile's HSPA+ network, which is an upgraded 3G network that the company refers to as a 4G network because it can achieve 4G speeds.

After initially resisting, the International Telecommunications Union, a standards-setting body, has approved the practice of calling upgraded 3G networks "4G" — something that T-Mobile competitor AT&T Inc. also does.

LinkedIn plans to go public in 2011: sources (Reuters)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 06:07 PM PST

By Nadia Damouni Nadia Damouni – Wed Jan 5, 9:07 pm ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) – LinkedIn, the social networking site for professionals, plans to go public in 2011 and has selected its financial underwriters, three sources familiar with the process told Reuters.

Morgan Stanley, Bank of America and JPMorgan are among the book runners, these sources said. Bankers made their pitches to the privately-held company in November, one of the sources said.

"An IPO is just one of many tactics that we could consider," a spokesman for LinkedIn said on Wednesday. He declined further comment.

Internet companies such as LinkedIn and Zynga, a popular maker of online social games, are considering offerings well ahead of a potential IPO of Facebook, two sources said.

"Some of these companies want to go public because they want to beat Facebook and others out," said one of the sources. "If Facebook went public before Linkedin, do you think anyone would pay that much attention to Linkedin?" You might want to surpass the beast."

Zynga couldn't be reached immediately for comment.

Facebook is not expected to file for a public offering until late 2012, Facebook board member Peter Thiel told Reuters in September.

But that could change. Regulators are scrutinizing a $500 million investment and a commitment to raise at least $1 billion more in Facebook this week by Goldman Sachs and Digital Sky Technologies, one of the sources said.

The SEC is reviewing whether the number of shareholders in Facebook has exceeded a 499 limit in order to remain private. If the SEC decided Facebook has moved past the threshold, it could accelerate Facebook's timeline for an offering, the source said.

Facebook and Goldman have declined to comment.

The people familiar with the process said LinkedIn is hoping to attract investors on its reputation as one of the Web's fastest growing social network sites.

The site claims more than 85 million members.

The filing of LinkedIn's S-1 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which contains the basic financial information of an issuer, could take months, said one of the sources.

"There are lots of things that are worked on that they could put on hold; they miss numbers; they want to grow a little more," another of the sources said.

Linkedin, which does not disclose financial results, makes money from advertising and premium services. The valuation of a Linkedin IPO was not given by the sources.

Sales of its stock on online secondary market exchange SharesPost gives LinkedIn an implied valuation of around $2.2 billion.

In an interview with Reuters in September, Chief Executive Jeff Weiner said the company has had discussions with bankers, but wouldn't "characterize it as being specific about discussing IPOs." He said that such conversations have occurred since he joined the company as interim president in early 2009.

LinkedIn's investors include Sequoia Capital -- the venture capital firm that has backed Yahoo, Google, Apple Cisco Systems and Oracle -- Greylock Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners and Goldman Sachs.

(Reporting by Nadia Damouni; Editing by Kenneth Li and Carol Bishopric)

Samsung Announces New LED and Plasma TVs with Revamped Internet Features, Touchscreen Remote, and More (PC World)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 06:41 PM PST

Patrick Miller Patrick Miller – 2 hrs 27 mins ago

Korean electronics giant Samsung announced its new lineup of LED and Plasma HDTVs today at CES, and they're slimmer, sexier, and more Internet-connected than ever before.

On the LED-backlit/edgelit side are three new model lines: the low-end UND6500 line, the mid-range UND7000 series, and the high-end UND8000 series.

All their new LED and plasma sets will have Samsung's new Advanced Smart TV features baked in, which includes a full Web browser, built-in Wi-Fi, and media searching functions across broadcast listings, connected storage devices, networked PCs and mobile devices, and even Internet channels and Video on Demand services.

The flagship D8000 LED and Plasma sets, however, can take further advantage of these Advanced Smart TV features with Samsung's new LCD Touch Control TV remote, a universal touchscreen remote with a software keyboard and built-in Wi-Fi that can control your home theater, access Samsung Apps over the Internet without interfering with the TV's on-screen action, and even mirror the TV screen with its built-in 3-inch display.

The UND6500 series is the eco-friendly line of the bunch, with five different sizes ranging from 32 inches to 60 inches that are manufactured without any materials that violate Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) guidelines. These HDTVs also feature Samsung's proprietary 3D Peak Algorithm, which reduces power consumption by 15% and peak brightness by 20% (though it's unclear at the moment if this is only while displaying 3D content or not), and the Motion Adaptive Dimming Algorithm, which allows the TV to selectively control LEDs according to motion vectors in the image, leading to a claimed 20% reduction in power consumption. The UND6500 line appears to be all LED-backlit sets with a 120 Hz refresh rate.

The LED edge-lit UND7000 series boasts a very slick design, with a bezel only 0.2 inches thick--meaning that a 55-inch TV takes up about as much space in your room as a normal 52-inch set. The UND7000 models come in 46-inch, 55-inch, and 60-inch sizes, have a 240 Hz refresh rate, and also include the 3D Peak Algorithm support.

The high-end LED edge-lit UND8000 line comes in 46-inch, 55-inch, 60-inch, and 65-inch models, and ships with their new LCD Touch Control TV remote. These 240 Hz sets also include Samsung's Micro Dimming Pro feature, meaning that even though these sets are LED edge-lit rather than back-lit, they can still approximate a full-array LED back-lit TV's local dimming feature, which makes for a higher-contrast image.

Additionally, all of the new TVs support a new kind of active-shutter 3D glasses that use Bluetooth, unlike the previous generation of 3D glasses that required a 3D signal emitter to sync the lenses up to the TV image. Samsung claims this will allow for better line-of-sight and range than the older glasses.

On the plasma side are two new lines, the PND6500 line and PND8000 line. The lower-end PND6500 sets come in a 51-inch and 59-inch model and include Samsung's Crystal Full HD engine with Cinema Smooth feature, while the PND8000 sets come in 51-inch, 59-inch, and 64-inch sizes and support Crystal Full HD as well as Samsung's Real Black Filter picture enhancement and Local Contrast Enhancer features. All of the plasma sets have Samsung's Advanced Smart TV features, built-in Wi-Fi, and 3D support (although it seems they might be using the older infrared glasses, not the newer Bluetooth glasses). They're also all only 1.5 inches thick (which is fairly thin for a plasma TV) and also feature exceptionally narrow bezels.

Check out PCWorld's complete coverage of CES 2011.

AT&T plans 20 new phones, major Android push (Reuters)

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 06:44 PM PST

By Sinead Carew Sinead Carew – 2 hrs 23 mins ago

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – AT&T Inc announced four times as many smartphones as it did this time a year ago, backed heavily by Google Inc's software, highlighting the urgency of its quest to lessen its dependence on Apple Inc's iPhone.

The mobile operator, which has been the exclusive U.S. provider for iPhone since 2007, is expected to face tough competition early this year with bigger rival Verizon Wireless expected to kick off sales of the popular cellphone.

AT&T executives said on Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show that it would introduce 20 high-speed smartphone models in 2011, including a dozen Google Android devices. At last year's CES, by comparison, AT&T unveiled plans for only five new smartphones.

The first of these phones will come from Motorola Inc, HTC Corp and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.

The No. 2 U.S. mobile provider also said it would sell a tablet computer from Motorola, but declined to elaborate.

The twin Motorola announcements suggest a shift in industry allegiances as Motorola has recently been the key phone maker for Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications Inc and Vodafone Group Plc.

Motorola said its Atrix 4G phone, expected to go on sale this quarter, will attach to a new type of accessory called a lapdoc, which looks like a laptop but does not work without the cellphone. Motorola's lapdoc has a laptop size screen and keyboard aimed at better Web browsing, video viewing and typing than on a typical cellphone.

"It will change the way people work," AT&T's president and head of mobility, Ralph de la Vega, said in an interview on the sidelines of the event.

De la Vega said that, after a "good fourth quarter" with a "seasonal pickup in demand," he sees 2011 being a strong year for smartphones sales, which he plans to boost with higher-speed network upgrades.

SPEED UPGRADES?

AT&T has come under fire for its patchy wireless service, which is under increasing strain as bandwidth-hogging smartphones proliferate.

De la Vega vowed to speed up AT&T's plan for upgrading its network with LTE, a high-speed technology already offered by rival Verizon. AT&T's LTE launch is scheduled for the middle of 2011 with coverage for up to 75 million people by year's end. That would put it a year behind its bigger rival Verizon.

But the executive said his company plans to pick up the pace in 2012, with an aim of having its national LTE high-speed upgrade largely complete by the end of 2013. He promised the first LTE phones in the second half of this year.

However, one analyst said that he expects AT&T's news to be upstaged by announcements expected from Verizon Wireless during its CES keynote and news conference on Thursday.

"They did what they could to take the wind out of Verizon's sails," said CCS Insight analyst John Jackson. But he added, "It's not going to be enough to overshadow what Verizon comes out with.

Jackson said he expects Verizon Wireless to announce new services with Google and roughly six or more devices such as smartphones and tablets that work on Verizon's LTE network.

Meanwhile, AT&T said it would start selling its first phones supporting another high-speed technology known as HSPA Plus, which it installed in its network last year to increase Web browsing speeds four-fold.

Phones based on this technology will arrive from Motorola and HTC in the first quarter and be followed by a high-speed phone from Samsung in the second quarter, de la Vega said.

AT&T said HTC will supply a phone called Inspire 4G. The Samsung Infuse 4G phone will be the operator's thinnest phone at 9 millimeters and will sport its largest display, a 4.5 inch screen, AT&T said.

Since AT&T's smaller rival, T-Mobile USA, has been marketing its HSPA Plus phones as fourth-generation (4G) devices, AT&T has followed suit, starting at the electronics show in Las Vegas. It now refers to both HSPA Plus and LTE as 4G technology.

De la Vega did not comment on how AT&T will avoid confusing consumers by using the same marketing term for two different services. The executive said his company was simply following the industry trend.

AT&T shares closed 10 cents higher at $29.98 on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew; editing by Maureen Bavdek, Matthew Lewis, Andre Grenon and Bernard Orr)
at 9:31 PM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

My Blog List