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Friday, February 3, 2012

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Canalys: More smartphones than PCs shipped in 2011

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 10:02 AM PST

2011: the year Smartphones supplanted computers, at least according to the bundle of spreadsheets that just arrived from Canalys Research. Vendors shipped (shipped, not sold) 488 million of the devices, compared to 414.6 million "PCs," which erroneously includes Tablet PCs of all shapes and sizes. Looking at Smartphones exclusively (IDC's numbers from yesterday concerned all mobile handsets), Apple remains king of the hill having shipped 93.1million iPhones. Samsung is close behind, with 91.9 million and Nokia is kicking along in third with 19.6 million. For all of the doomsaying around RIM, it's nestled in fourth, although Canalys chose not to include its numbers. Framing the research as "PCs versus Smartphones" isn't the wisest, given the fragmentation and hybridization prevalent in the market today. Drilling down into those numbers, we learn that 63.2 million tablets were pushed out last year, cannibalizing netbook shipments (dropping 34.5 percent in a year), but desktop and laptop movements remained relatively stable. We've included the full report and the most relevant table of data for your perusal and insight (hint: there's no points for saying netbooks are on the way out).

Worldwide Smartphone and Client PC Shipments (in millions)

4Q11 Shipments Q4 10/11 Growth 2011 Shipments 2010/11 Growth
Smartphones 158.5 56.6% 487.7 62.7%
Total PCs: 120.2 16.3% 414.6 14.8%
- "Pads" 26.5 186.2% 63.2 274.2%
- Netbooks 6.7 -32.4% 29.4 -25.3%
- Notebooks 57.9 7.3% 209.6 7.5%
- Desktops 29.1 -3.6% 112.4 2.3%

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Smart phones overtake client PCs in 2011

* Vendors shipped 488 million smart phones in 2011, compared to 415 million client PCs

* Apple was the leading smart phone vendor in 2011, following record Q4 shipments

Palo Alto, Shanghai, Singapore and Reading – 3 February 2012

Canalys today released its full, detailed Q4 2011 country-level smart phone shipment estimates to clients, so completing the picture for the year. One notable result was that total annual global shipments of smart phones exceeded those of client PCs (including pads) for the first time.

Vendors shipped 158.5 million smart phones in Q4 2011, up 57% on the 101.2 million units shipped in Q4 2010. This bumper quarter took total global shipments for the whole of 2011 to 488.0 million units, up 63% on the 299.7 million smart phones shipped throughout 2010. By comparison, the global client PC market grew 15% in 2011 to 414.6 million units, with 274% growth in pad shipments. Pads accounted for 15% of all client PC shipments in 2011.

"In 2011 we saw a fall in demand for netbooks, and slowing demand for notebooks and desktops as a direct result of rising interest in pads," said Chris Jones, Canalys VP and Principal Analyst. "But pads have had negligible impact on smart phone volumes and markets across the globe have seen persistent and substantial growth through 2011. Smart phone shipments overtaking those of client PCs should be seen as a significant milestone. In the space of a few years, smart phones have grown from being a niche product segment at the high-end of the mobile phone market to becoming a truly mass-market proposition. The greater availability of smart phones at lower price points has helped tremendously, but there has been a driving trend of increasing consumer appetite for Internet browsing, content consumption and engaging with apps and services on mobile devices."

However, Canalys expects to see smart phone market growth slow in 2012 as vendors exercise greater cost control and discipline, and put more focus on profitability. Notably, even vendors who have focused on conquering the low-end of the market with aggressive pricing, such as Huawei, ZTE and LG, are now placing greater attention on the higher tiers. Flagship models aimed at raising selling prices and improving margins will feature more heavily this year.

Apple's impressive end to the year resulted in it becoming the leading smart phone and client PC vendor in Q4 2011, with shipments of 37.0 million iPhones, 15.4 million iPads and 5.2 million Macs. It also smashed the record for the most smart phones shipped globally by any single vendor in one quarter, beating Nokia's previous record of 28.3 million shipped in Q4 2010. Moreover, Apple's performance meant that it displaced Nokia, for the first time, as the leading smart phone vendor by annual shipments. Apple shipped 93.1 million iPhones in 2011, representing growth of 96% over 2010. The iPhone 4S benefitted from pent-up demand resulting from the launch coming in October rather than June, but Apple's overall volume was also buoyed by continued shipments of the now more aggressively priced iPhone 4 and 3GS models.

Samsung also finished 2011 with a flourish. It shipped 35.3 million smart phones in Q4 2011 under its own brand, bringing its total to 91.9 million for the year, compared to just 24.9 million in 2010. This excludes shipments of rebranded products, such as the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus, which Canalys counts under the Google brand. Samsung continued to spend big on marketing activities, and its strong product portfolio – particularly the Android-based Galaxy S II – performed well.

Despite a disappointing set of financial results, Nokia's smart phone performance in the fourth quarter gave cause for optimism. It shipped 19.6 million smart phones, down 31% from the record high of a year earlier, but up 17% on Q3 2011. The total was helped by 1.2 million and 0.6 million shipments of its Windows Phone and MeeGo-based products respectively, as well as improved Symbian Belle volumes from competitively priced devices such as the Nokia 500, 700 and 701. Its total smart phone shipments for the year came in at 77.3 million globally.

"Its first Windows Phone products, the Lumia 800 and 710, along with the recently announced Lumia 900 through AT&T in the US, have improved the outlook for Nokia," said Canalys Senior Analyst, Tim Shepherd. "They are well-designed, competitive devices that demonstrate innovation is still alive within Nokia. But the battle is not over and it has huge challenges ahead. Nokia must continue to build out its Lumia portfolio with devices tailored to address all price points and all the markets in which it aims to compete. It must hasten its transition from Symbian to Windows Phone around the world and, with Microsoft, promote and generate excitement for the platform and new products. And it must succeed in attracting more developers to build high quality, locally relevant apps."

RIM's demise in 2011 has been over played by some, with the company ending the year as the fourth largest smart phone vendor and delivering annual unit growth of 5%. "There is no denying that RIM has had a tough year," said Canalys Principal Analyst, Pete Cunningham. "But when you consider that it is transitioning to a new platform it has done well to increase volume while remaining profitable; the latter point being something that many other vendors struggle with. The appointment of Thorsten Heins as CEO will bring new energy to the company while ensuring that it does not radically deviate from its overall strategy in this transitional year. However, 2012 will become even more competitive and RIM needs BlackBerry 10 devices out there to ensure it retains its status as a major player."

At a platform level, Android accounted for 52% of global smart phones shipments in Q4 2011, with iOS representing 23% and Symbian 12%. Android was also the leading smart phone platform by volume for the whole year, accounting for 49% of all devices shipped in 2011 and ahead of iOS with 19% share and Symbian with 16%. Collectively, Android smart phone shipments grew 149% year on year in Q4 2011 to 81.9 million units, resulting in a total of 237.8 million for the full year, up 244% on 2010. Samsung's success and focus on Android have contributed substantially to the growth of the platform, but other vendors, such as Sony Ericsson, Huawei, Motorola, LG and particularly HTC, have also seen significant growth in their Android volumes over the course of 2011.

Canalys analysts in Asia Pacific, the Americas and EMEA are available for press interviews on topics related to all mobile devices and the client PC market, as well as the growing ecosystem for mobile applications and services. There will also be a significant Canalys analyst presence at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona from 26 to 29 February 2012. To arrange an interview or meeting, please send a request to press@canalys.com. Photos and bios of analysts are available from the Canalys web site.

New super-Earth detected, 'best candidate' for supporting life

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 09:37 AM PST

A new potentially life-bearing "super-Earth" has been discovered orbiting a relatively nearby star. Described as the "best candidate" for supporting liquid water -- and therefore life -- the planet (GJ 667Cc) is believed to be about 4.5 times the size of Earth. The parent star (GJ 667C) is 22 light years away, and this is the second potentially Earth-like rock scientists have discovered orbiting the M-class dwarf. With a 28.15 day cycle, it's calculated to receive 90 percent as much light as Earth, and much of that is infrared (meaning the actual energy delivered is about equal) -- crucially hinting at similar temperatures and favorable conditions. Not enough is known about the atmosphere right now to fully nail the water prospects, but it's still our best hope of discovering life as we (don't) know it yet.
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New super-Earth detected within the habitable zone of a nearby cool star

Washington, D.C. -- An international team of scientists led by Carnegie's Guillem Anglada-Escudé and Paul Butler has discovered a potentially habitable super-Earth orbiting a nearby star. The star is a member of a triple star system and has a different makeup than our Sun, being relatively lacking in metallic elements. This discovery demonstrates that habitable planets could form in a greater variety of environments than previously believed. Their work will be published by the Astrophysical Journal Letters and the current version of the manuscript will be posted at http://arxiv.org/archive/astro-ph

The team used public data from the European Southern Observatory and analyzed it with a novel data analysis method. They also incorporated new measurements from the Keck Observatory's High Resolution Echelle Spectrograph and the new Carnegie Planet Finder Spectrograph at the Magellan II Telescope.

Their planet-finding technique involved measuring the small wobbles in a star's orbit in response to a planet's gravity. Anglada-Escudé and his team focused on an M-class dwarf star called GJ 667C, which is 22 light years away. It is a member of a triple-star system. The other two stars (GJ 667AB) are a pair of orange K dwarfs, with a concentration of heavy elements only 25% that of our Sun's. Such elements are the building blocks of terrestrial planets so it was thought to be unusual for metal-depleted star systems to have an abundance of low mass planets.

GJ 667C had previously been observed to have a super-Earth (GJ 667Cb) with a period of 7.2 days, although this finding was never published. This orbit is too tight, and thus hot, to support life. The new study started with the aim of obtaining the orbital parameters of this super-Earth.

But in addition to this first candidate, the research team found the clear signal of a new planet (GJ 667Cc) with an orbital period of 28.15 days and a minimum mass of 4.5 times that of Earth. The new planet receives 90% of the light that Earth receives. However, because most of its incoming light is in the infrared, a higher percentage of this incoming energy should be absorbed by the planet. When both these effects are taken into account, the planet is expected to absorb about the same amount of energy from its star that the Earth absorbs from the Sun. This would allow surface temperatures similar to Earth and perhaps liquid water, but this extreme cannot be confirmed without further information on the planet's atmosphere.

"This planet is the new best candidate to support liquid water and, perhaps, life as we know it," Anglada-Escudé said.

The team notes that the system might also contain a gas-giant planet and an additional super-Earth with an orbital period of 75 days. However, further observations are needed to confirm these two possibilities.

"With the advent of a new generation of instruments, researchers will be able to survey many M dwarf stars for similar planets and eventually look for spectroscopic signatures of life in one of these worlds."

Creative pumps out $99 HN-900 noise-canceling headphones

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 09:12 AM PST

Fact: not everyone's willing to pay a premium to enhance their personal listening experience. Fortunately for those of you who like noise cancellation and a flush bank account, Creative's just taken the wraps off its $99 headset that'll do the trick. The HN-900 offers great features -- aside from the low price tag -- such as 40-hours of active noise canceling powered by some AAA juice (for the times when you feel like ignoring the world), 40mm Neodymium drivers, and a built-in microphone to help with making and answering calls, just to highlight a few. Naturally, with such a stout feature set and low price, the headphones are selling like hotcakes and are currently out of stock. That said, you can still head over to the source to check out the rest of the deets and be one of the first in line once the second batch hits Creative's virtual shelves.

Nokia Hello: breaks down borders, gets the drinks in

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 08:46 AM PST

Ever wanted to order a tea and coffee, but found language to be a barrier? Then say bonjour, to Nokia Hello. Making creative use of NFC, Nokia Hello users can touch phones to exchange greetings, pleasantries, as well as the aforementioned beverage order. Mild joking aside, the project has been developed to ease those awkward international business interactions, which the team behind it somewhat ambitiously claim could be eliminated as soon as 2015. We're not sure how loud Nokia employees are but Dr Marcus Redströmm PhD, who led the project, thinks it can also cut their noise pollution by up to 85 percent. It's still awaiting final testing, but it'll be free once released -- just be sure to touch back to say kiitos.

Dropbox offers up to 5GB of free space to anyone willing to go beta

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 08:22 AM PST

Here's some good news for all you Dropboxers out there: the company is offering a bundle of free storage space to anyone who tries the beta version of its new Experimental software. It's really quite simple: just download the test program, upload a photo, and instantly get 500MB of free storage. Upload another photo or video, and an additional 500MB will magically appear at your doorstep. The idea is to test out the beta software's new photo and video uploader, which automatically pulls media from any camera, smartphone or SD card and drops it in the cloud. Free space is limited to 5GB per user, and there's an inherent risk to testing any unfinished product, but those willing to make the leap can find all the requisite materials and information at the source link, below.

Rhapsody music streaming lands on Android tablets with 'magazine-style' app

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 07:57 AM PST

If you use Rhapsody to satisfy your $10-per-month musical appetite, then here's another way to digest. The service can now be accessed through an app tailored to Android slates, featuring music discovery tools like expert playlists and guides, original editorial content, and exclusive recordings -- all on top of a 14 million song catalog. You'll need Honeycomb or ICS plus a minimum nine-inch display to run it though, so all you HTC Flyer, Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus and other 'handy pad' owners will have to stick to the phone version. More details in the PR after the break.

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America's top premium subscription music service brings an engaging music experience to Android tablets, with a focus on premium, original editorial content

SEATTLE-February 2, 2012-Rhapsody today announced the availability of its new application for Android tablets. This latest product innovation from the most popular premium subscription music service in America makes it even easier for Rhapsody members to discover new music, read about their favorite artists and rediscover music with expert playlists, guides and features.

The tablet transforms Rhapsody into an immersive experience that's inspired by what digital music lovers miss about physical albums and CDs: album art, photos and the ability to reach out and touch the next album you're playing. The tablet amplifies the experience with the best aspects of digital, with links across the universe of content that Rhapsody editors have produced over the past decade.

"We didn't just resize Rhapsody – we re-imagined the entire experience for the tablet," said Brendan Benzing, chief product officer, Rhapsody. "The tablet is not a giant phone or a mini computer. It's your companion on the couch, in transit and out in the world, and therefore people experience music and consume content differently than they would on a computer, portable device, TV or home audio system."

Original editorial content has been a mainstay of the Rhapsody service since it launched in 2001. Each week, the editorial team--who are the leading writers in their respective genres--produces features, reviews, videos and playlists designed to guide members through Rhapsody's vast catalog of 14 million songs across nearly 600 musical genres. The tablet application is built around this content, with lush imagery, playable links and franchises designed to guide members through the service.

The application maximizes the unique capabilities of the tablet. Members can tap, swipe and zoom through Rhapsody content while listening. In addition to streaming the Rhapsody catalog while connected to the Internet, tablet users can download playlists to their tablet can store to enjoy offline anywhere.

"We are dedicated to creating a premium experience that consistently brings value to every aspect of the Rhapsody service," said Benzing. "The tablet app delivers on this promise by providing more than just access to music-it's a guided tour of millions of songs and a musical canvas for a myriad of experiences, from collaborating with friends to build a party playlist by passing the tablet around the room, to providing a soundtrack to a recipe or an e-book."

The tablet application is available today in the Android Market and the Amazon Appstore for Android.

Rhapsody applications are also available on the Apple iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, RIM BlackBerry, and Windows Phone 7 as well as through more than 70 consumer electronics devices, including those by Vizio, SanDisk, HP, Sonos and Philips.

About Rhapsody
The Rhapsody® digital music service (www.rhapsody.com) gives subscribers unlimited on-demand access to more than 14 million songs, whether they're listening on a PC, laptop, Internet connected home stereo or TV, MP3 player or mobile phone. Rhapsody allows subscribers to access their music through more touch-points than any other digital music service, including mobile phones from Verizon Wireless and MetroPCS, through Rhapsody applications on the Apple iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, RIM BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7 and Android mobile platforms as well as through devices from Vizio, SanDisk, HP, Sonos and Philips. Rhapsody is headquartered in Seattle, with offices in New York and San Francisco, expanding to include a presence in Luxembourg, London and
Frankfurt upon closing the Napster International acquisition. Rhapsody, and the Rhapsody logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Rhapsody International Inc. Follow @Rhapsody on Twitter and keep up with the latest on the Rhapsody Facebook page.

Distro Issue 26: Smartwatch face-off, Ryan Block and more

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 07:30 AM PST

Are you ready for a showdown? You're in luck! In the latest edition of our fine weekly, Myriam Joire tackles wrist-top computing, comparing the inPulse and WIMM One smartwatches. Also in this issue, Zachary Lutz takes the BlackBerry Curve 9360 for a spin; Dana Wollman puts HP's latest Envy 15 through the paces; and Joe Pollicino tries to keep Klipsch's Mode M40 headphones in place. If that wasn't enough to pique your interest, our former editor-in-chief, Ryan Block, returns to take on the Distro Q&A and Box Brown offers a comic look at becoming an iBooks Author. So go on and get to downloading!

Distro Issue 26 PDF
Distro on the iTunes App Store
Distro in the Android Market
Distro APK (for sideloading)
Like Distro on Facebook
Follow Distro on Twitter

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Taking next-gen augmented reality for an ARM-powered walk around the block

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 07:00 AM PST

We know what you're thinking, because we initially thought it too, but this isn't your average AR. With the help of chip designer ARM, a number of developers are building a new type of augmented reality that is altogether more powerful than the usual sprite-on-a-surface routine. Instead of requiring well-lit, artificial and often indoor surfaces and markers, this new technology sucks every ounce of juice from a smartphone's processor in order to recognize, track and augment real-world 3D objects like people and buildings. It's still at an early stage and far from being practical, but the exclusive videos after the break ought to prove that this approach has potential. In fact, it's probably what augmented reality ought to have been in the first place. Read on for more.

To be fair, traditional AR can still be entertaining. Reality Fighters on the PS Vita, Aurasma's virtual browser and even virtual pico projectors certainly do no harm to the AR dream. But all those games and apps share the same fundamental limitation: they only work on a totally flat surface or deliberately placed marker. Since neither of these things normally exist in the real world, it's hard to see how the reality part of the AR moniker applies. Contrast that with the video below, in which Dr. Himane from developer Metaio shows how the built environment can be augmented using "gravity descriptors." It represents the next phase in Metaio's work on the Augmented City, which began as a traditional 2D platform but is now being upgraded to support 3D markerless tracking in its next SDK, due by the end of this quarter.


Metaio's software will run on an iPhone 4 or 4S, but the company's CEO, Thomas Alt, told us that the Samsung Exynos pairing of ARM's Cortex-A9 CPU and a Mali 400 GPU, found in the Galaxy Note and GSII, offers "better quality and less power consumption." This is at least partly because ARM sees augmented reality as a way of showcasing the capability of its chips, so it's been helping Metaio and other developers to optimize their code.

The next hands-on video below shows a couple more examples of this optimization. The first doesn't concern tracking, but instead reveals how much GPU rendering capability is left unused by most current software. Whereas a top-end game -- the video shows a title called Eon Sky -- might display just 40,000 triangles per frame, we look at a diamond ring created by an AR firm called Holition that renders smoothly with 105,000 triangles and represents the real limit of the Mali 400.

The other example in the video, from Olaworks, is admittedly bare bones and looks much like those cheap and cheerful face-altering AR titles that you'd find in any local app store. However, it highlights one of the more exciting aspects of 3D markerless tracking: the ability to augment people who are moving around naturally, even when they're not staring right into the camera. Look past the Donald Duck face transplant and you'll catch a glimpse of a crazy future in which we can pick people out of a crowd and see their social networking statuses and other information visually transplanted onto their beings -- at least when we look at them through whatever smartphones or goggles happen to become popular over the next few years.


There is a downside to all this, though, and that's battery drain. Both phones used in the demo became hot to the touch -- even considering that the Galaxy Note runs warm anyway. The same applies to the Augmented City, with Metaio's boss admitting to us that running 3D markerless tracking can burn through a full battery in as little as 30 minutes. ARM acknowledges that this is one of the biggest barriers to next-gen AR, but it told us that reduced power consumption is one of the major improvements we'll see in the Mali T658 and T604 GPUs, which will interconnect better with a mobile's CPU in order to spread the burden of compute tasks and accomplish them more efficiently.

Engadget Podcast 279 - 02.03.2012

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 06:30 AM PST

If a Nintendo Slide Pad slides into a garbage can in the Forest of Illusion, but no gamers are around to take a low-res 3D video of it, does it make a sound? Who would win in a timed Farmville match, Google's new privacy policy reminders or the evil CG twin from the 2012 film Wall Street 3: Like Wall Street On The Social Network? How many BBMs does the Halle Berry lookalike in RIM's new graphic novel exchange with Halle Berry herself on a weekly basis, what are their PIN numbers, and do either of them know Catwoman? There's only one way to find out, and the only thing we know about that way is that it's not not listening to the two hundred seventy-ninth edition of The Engadget Podcast.

Host: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater, Josh Fruhlinger
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Last Friday Night

00:03:30 - Vote for the 2011 Engadget Awards!
01:19:58 - Listener questions




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Jawbone Big Jambox packs on the pounds, rears its fat head at the FCC

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 05:57 AM PST

Despite occupying a questionable space on the scale of must-have audio goods, Jawbone's little Bluetooth speaker that could managed to win us over with its ample range. Now, that stylish peripheral is about to get shunted out of the spotlight, making way for a plus-sized sibling. As recent FCC documents have revealed, the company has a Big Jambox in the works which is, presumably, bigger than its diminutive kin. Aside from ports for micro-USB, audio-in and power, not much else could be gleaned from the filing. Given its larger-than-life moniker, however, we'd expect this new offering to be more of a standard dock than kitschy accessory.

Megaupload co-founder's bail appeal rejected

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 05:21 AM PST

While users housing content on the troubled Megaupload site were given a two-week reprieve, one of its co-founders is having less luck. Kim Dotcom has lost his appeal for bail, with prosecutors fearing that he would flee from New Zealand and return to his native Germany, possibly making him safe from extradition. According to the BBC, the prosecution alleged that Dotcom -- formerly Kim Schmitz -- had multiple passports and bank accounts, and "a history of fleeing criminal charges." His next court appearance his scheduled for February 22nd.

Corning and Samsung ink new joint venture, plot Lotus Glass future for OLED devices

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 04:48 AM PST

Anyone keeping a close eye on the mobile market knows that Samsung and Super AMOLED, much like peanut butter and jelly, are inextricable bosom buddies. So, this recent tech marriage between the Korean electronics giant and Corning (of Gorilla Glass fame) shouldn't come as much surprise for fans of super saturated screens. Under terms of the agreement, both parties will jointly manufacture Lotus Glass for use in smartphones falling under the Galaxy umbrella, as well as Super OLED TVs. The substrate, heralded for its ability to withstand "higher processing temperatures" without compromising structural stability, will help create a range of less power consumptive, high-resolution devices. Unexciting? Sure, but you didn't think those 720p displays were going to make themselves, now did you? Official PR after the break.
Show full PR text
February 02, 2012 08:00 AM Eastern Time
Corning and Samsung Mobile Display Form New OLED Glass Venture

New business expands Corning's long-standing collaboration with Samsung

CORNING, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) and Samsung Mobile Display Co., Ltd. have signed an agreement to establish a new equity venture for the manufacture of specialty glass substrates for the rapidly expanding organic light emitting diode (OLED) device market. The new business will be located in Korea.

"Samsung Mobile Display has led the global display industry by constantly seeking innovations and challenging current technologies' limits. We are confident that combining our business powers with Corning's technology leadership will deliver greater value to our clients"

Combining Corning's Lotus™ Glass substrate technology and Samsung Mobile Display's OLED display expertise, this new entity will be well-positioned to provide outstanding product solutions for current and future OLED technologies, from handheld and IT devices to large TVs and beyond.

The newly formed entity will supply OLED backplane glass substrates for Samsung Mobile Display, as well as for the broader Korean market.

According to a recent NPD DisplaySearch report, OLED technology advanced rapidly in 2011, setting a trend that is forecasted to continue through this decade. They estimate that OLED display revenues will exceed $4 billion in 2011 (approximately 4% of flat panel display revenues), and will reach more than $20 billion (approximately 16% of the total display industry) by 2018.

Samsung is playing a leading role in this emerging market through its Galaxy mobile device products and Super OLED TV technology introduced in January at the International Consumer Electronics Show. Corning's ongoing advanced glass technology development includes a strong focus on high-performance displays. Most recently, this focus has been demonstrated through Corning's new Lotus™ Glass substrates, which deliver the higher processing temperatures and improved dimensional stability needed to produce the new high performance displays.

"Samsung Mobile Display has led the global display industry by constantly seeking innovations and challenging current technologies' limits. We are confident that combining our business powers with Corning's technology leadership will deliver greater value to our clients," said Soo In Cho, Samsung Mobile Display's president and chief executive officer.

"Corning and Samsung have a long and successful partnership in the display industry, dating back nearly 40 years to the early days of television," said Wendell P. Weeks, Corning's chairman, chief executive officer, and president. "The strength of our business relationship is built on Corning's ability to develop and make high-technology glass with the key attributes that enable Samsung's next-generation displays. Together, we have led the evolution of displays – from the high-growth years of CRT, to our current successful business supplying world-leading substrates for today's high-definition LCD TVs, and now to the launch of this important new venture to advance OLED technology," Weeks stated.

Samsung Galaxy S Advance snapped in the wild, pricing in tow

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 04:08 AM PST

Sure, we've read the specs and we've seen the press shots, but we didn't expect to get up close and personal with Samsung's Galaxy S Advance (GT-I9070) until Mobile World Congress later this month. Fortunately, Filipino tech blog TechPinas was able to get a hands-on with the handset -- complete with photos and video. The Gingerbread-packing phone, which looks like a cross between a Galaxy S II (in front) and a Nexus S (complete with curved glass), features a 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED display, a dual-core 1GHz CPU, 768MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, a five megapixel AF camera with flash, an HSDPA 14.4Mbps radio and a 1500mAh battery. It's expected to launch the week of February 27th, and according to UK retailer Clove, it's going to cost £295 ($467) plus tax. That's lovely and all, but without the Galaxy S III on the menu let's just hope Samsung's hiding something special up its sleeves for Barcelona. Until then, check out the pictures and video at the source link below.

Update: An additional set of photos of the Galaxy S Advance (in silver) just landed in our tip jar, direct from Vietnam.

EU regulators ask Google to 'pause' its privacy changes, need more time to investigate

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 03:46 AM PST

Google has gone to great lengths to clarify its revamped privacy policy, but a regulatory body in the European Union thinks the company is moving a little too fast. Today, European regulators formally requested that Google "pause" its rollout, in order to give the EU more time to investigate its forthcoming changes. "Given the wide range of services you offer, and the popularity of these services, changes in your privacy policy may affect many citizens in most or all of the EU member states," the EU's Data Protection Working Party wrote in a letter to Google CEO Larry Page yesterday. "We wish to check the possible consequences for the protection of the personal data of these citizens in a coordinated way." The body didn't specify how much time it would need to investigate, but it stressed that doing so would help to ensure absolute transparency among European users. "[W]e call for a pause in the interests of ensuring that there can be no misunderstanding about Google's commitments to information rights of their users and EU citizens, until we have completed our analysis," the letter reads.

Viviane Reding, Europe's commissioner on data protection, heralded the move as an important step in asserting EU authority over online privacy and regulations, but Google was somewhat taken aback by the request. "We briefed most of the members of the working party in the weeks leading up to our announcement," said company spokesman Al Verney. "None of them expressed substantial concerns at the time, but of course we're happy to speak with any data protection authority that has questions." It's worth noting that Google isn't legally bound to heed the Working Party's request, though we'd expect the company to seek some sort of compromise with Europe's regulators, as it has in the past.

Develop an Android app, get a free Blackberry PlayBook

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 03:15 AM PST

Still wary of dropping $200 on a BlackBerry Playbook? How does "free" sound? That's what RIM is offering to Android developers today, as part of an overt attempt to spur interest in its App World platform. RIM VP of developer relations Alec Saunders announced the offer yesterday via Twitter, reminding devs to submit their apps by February 13th in order to qualify. On the one hand, it seems like a great way to push the PlayBook out on the market. On the other, it's sort of sad. Interested parties can find all the tools they need at the coverage link below.

Hiroshi Ishiguro's android mannequin creeps out Japanese shoppers (video)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 02:32 AM PST

If you didn't think mannequins were creepy enough already, maybe this will change your mind. In an attempt to lure shoppers, Japanese department store Takashimiya installed an eerily lifelike interactive robot for its Valentine's window display. The retailer called on robotics guru Hiroshi Ishiguro to provide the humanoid dummy, which can not only wink and yawn as people approach, but also display a range of emotions -- beyond boredom, indifference and oblivious content, we assume. While this was just part of the store's seasonal promotion, it might be a hint at where visual merchandise is going. Whether Ishiguro's model "model" will crossover into more professional roles like her sister, however, is unclear. Want to see that cheeky wink for yourself? Then hit up the video after the break.

Panasonic 2012 Q3: $9 billion loss, Sanyo writedowns, restructuring

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 01:54 AM PST

Panasonic's released its 2012 quarterly report (its financial year runs from summer to summer) and concedes it's been as bad for them as it was for Sony and Sharp. It's blaming the Japanese Earthquake for damaging its supply chain, a strong yen for keeping prices high, plus having to write-down the costs for its acquisition of Sanyo. The company's promising to restructure (in the face of stern competition from Samsung and LG) to become a "green innovation" business as well as to streamline its operating costs. It's predicting a quarterly loss of $9.2 billion as it takes the hit for this turmoil, and it doesn't look like things will improve with an anticipated further loss of another $2 billion at the end of the (financial) year.
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Announcement of Financial Results:
Panasonic Reports Third-Quarter and Nine-Month Results

-Increased Business Restructuring Expenses Cause Net Loss;
Annual Forecast Revised Downward-

OSAKA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Panasonic Corporation (NYSE:PC)(TOKYO:6752)("Panasonic") today reported its consolidated financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2011, of the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012).

"net income (loss) attributable to Panasonic Corporation"

Consolidated Third-quarter Results

Consolidated group sales for the third quarter decreased by 14% to 1,960.2 billion yen from 2,285.5 billion yen, compared with the same period a year ago. Of the consolidated group total, domestic sales amounted to 1,043.8 billion yen, down by 13% from 1,200.6 billion yen and overseas sales decreased to 916.4 billion yen, down by 16% from 1,084.9 billion yen.

Sales in the Japanese consumer electronics industry declined from the last fiscal year when there was rush demand as a result of the Japanese government's 'eco-point' stimulus package. Although there were signs of recovery with the normalization of the supply chain, which had been disrupted by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Japanese economy as a whole was still severely affected by the shortage in electricity distribution after the disaster, the global economic slowdown, appreciation of the yen, and declining stock prices.

In the meantime, the global economy continued to slow down caused by the flooding in Thailand and the destabilization of the European finance market due to the government debt crisis, despite demand expansion in emerging markets including China.

In such a business environment, Panasonic has been working towards two themes, Paradigm Shift to Growth and Laying Foundations to be a Green Innovation Company, in the second year of its three-year midterm management plan called "Green Transformation 2012 (GT12)." This is the first step towards the 100th anniversary vision of becoming the "No.1 Green Innovation Company in the Electronics Industry."

Although the company pursued a streamlining program to reduce material and fixed costs, operating loss1 was 8.1 billion yen, compared with a profit of 95.3 billion yen a year ago. Pre-tax loss was 191.2 billion yen, compared with a profit of 82.7 billion yen a year ago. Net loss attributable to Panasonic Corporation amounted to 197.6 billion yen, compared with a profit of 40.0 billion yen a year ago.

1 For information about operating profit (loss), see Note 2 of the Notes to consolidated financial statements.

Consolidated Nine-month Results

Consolidated group sales for nine months ended December 31, 2011 decreased by 10% to 5,965.4 billion yen, compared with 6,653.4 billion yen in the same period of fiscal 2011. Domestic sales amounted to 3,080.2 billion yen, down by 9% from 3,390.1 billion yen a year ago, while overseas sales decreased by 12% to 2,885.2 billion yen, down from 3,263.3 billion yen a year ago.

The company's operating profit for the nine months decreased to 39.5 billion yen, from 264.3 billion yen a year ago, due mainly to sales decline caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the flooding in Thailand. Price decline and appreciation of the yen also caused a decrease in profit. Pre-tax loss totaled 350.5 billion yen, compared with a pre-tax income of 227.3 billion yen a year ago, due mainly to the business restructuring expenses such as the implementation of early retirement programs and the impairment losses of fixed assets. Net income attributable to Panasonic Corporation turned to a loss of 333.8 billion yen from an income of 114.7 billion yen a year ago by incurring an adjustment to deferred tax assets and liabilities for changes in Japanese corporate tax rates as a provision for income taxes.

Consolidated Nine-month Breakdown by Business Segment

The company's nine-month consolidated sales and segment profit by business segment, compared with the amounts a year ago, are summarized as follows:

Digital AVC Networks

Sales decreased by 16% to 2,182.9 billion yen from 2,585.4 billion yen a year ago. Despite favorable sales of PCs, this result was due mainly to sales decline in flat-panel TVs and mobile phones. Segment loss amounted to 32.7 billion yen, compared with segment profit of 101.2 billion yen a year ago, due mainly to sales decrease and price decline.

Home Appliances

Sales increased by 1% to 979.2 billion yen, compared with 974.2 billion yen a year ago, due mainly to stable sales in air conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators. Segment profit was 78.6 billion yen, compared with 81.9 billion yen a year ago, due mainly to rising prices for raw materials.

PEW and PanaHome

Sales increased by 3% to 1,322.8 billion yen from 1,280.5 billion yen a year ago. Regarding Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd. (PEW) and its subsidiaries, sales growth in environmentally-conscious products including LED lightings as well as housing/building-related business contributed to the overall sales increase, although sales declined in devices such as electronic equipment and automation controls. For PanaHome Corporation and its subsidiaries, favorable sales of housing construction mainly for detached housing led to its overall sales increase, despite the signs of slowdown in the Japanese housing market after the fall of 2011. Segment profit was 50.4 billion yen, decreased from 54.0 billion yen a year ago, due mainly to price decline and rising prices in raw materials.

Components and Devices

Sales decreased by 15% to 609.6 billion yen, compared with 713.8 billion yen a year ago. This result was due mainly to sluggish sales in semiconductors as well as declines in sales of general components and batteries. Segment loss was 17.3 billion yen, compared with segment profit of 29.1 billion yen a year ago, due mainly to sales decrease and price decline.

SANYO

Sales decreased by 20% to 974.1 billion yen, compared with 1,223.0 billion yen a year ago. Although sales of solar photovoltaic systems and cold-chain equipments were stable, sales of electronic components, home appliances, digital cameras, and TVs were sluggish. Sales decline owing to the semiconductor business transfer in fiscal 2011 also led to the overall sales decrease. A 47.0 billion yen of segment loss was recorded, compared with a segment profit of 0.4 billion yen a year ago, influenced by sales decrease, after incurring the expenses such as amortization of intangible assets recorded at the acquisition.

Other

Sales totaled 776.9 billion yen, down by 6% from 822.9 billion yen a year ago, due mainly to sales decline in factory automation equipment as well as components for group companies in Panasonic. Segment profit amounted to 32.0 billion yen, compared with 35.2 billion yen a year ago, due mainly to sales decrease.

Consolidated Financial Condition

Net cash used in operating activities for nine months ended December 31, 2011 amounted to 38.2 billion yen, due to incurring net loss and decrease in trade payables. Net cash used in investing activities amounted to 199.7 billion yen. This was due mainly to capital expenditures, offsetting proceeds from disposition of investments and advances as well as disposals of property, plant and equipment. Net cash used in financing activities was 15.7 billion yen, due mainly to repayments of long-term debt including bond redemption and dividend payment, despite the issuance of short-term bonds. Taking into consideration the effect of exchange rate fluctuations, cash and cash equivalents totaled 685.9 billion yen as of December 31, 2011, a decrease of 289.0 billion yen, compared with the end of the last fiscal year.

The company's consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2011 decreased by 822.0 billion yen to 7,000.9 billion yen from the end of fiscal 2011. This was due mainly to the appreciation of the yen and a decrease in cash and cash equivalents. A decrease in property, plant and equipment, and other assets by incurring impairment losses also caused a decrease in total assets. The company's consolidated total liabilities amounted to 4,604.6 billion yen, attributable primarily to the appreciation of the yen and a decrease in account payables. Panasonic Corporation shareholders' equity decreased 226.5 billion yen to 2,332.5 billion yen as of December 31, 2011. Despite an increase of Panasonic shareholder's equity by share exchanges for acquisition of all shares of PEW and SANYO, this was primarily due to a decrease in retained earnings by incurring net loss attributable to Panasonic Corporation and deterioration in accumulated other comprehensive income. Noncontrolling interests decreased by 323.5 billion yen to 63.8 billion yen, due mainly to the share exchanges as stated above.

Outlook for Fiscal 2012

Regarding the annual forecast for fiscal 2012, the company revised its previous sales forecast of 8,300.0 billion yen downward to 8,000.0 billion yen because of significant sales declines in mainly digital products. The primary causes of this are the global economic slowdown and instability in the financial markets due to the European debt crisis, as well as the extensive supply chain disruption caused by the flooding in Thailand occurred in October 2011. Operating profit is expected to be 30.0 billion yen, a decrease from the previous forecast of 130.0 billion yen. Although the company carried out streamlining efforts rigorously in this extreme situation, it is not expected that the company will be able to offset the decline in sales. Pre-tax loss is forecast to be 820.0 billion yen, a deterioration from the previous forecast of a loss of 430.0 billion yen, owing primarily to anticipated additional business restructuring expenses of 250.0 billion yen including goodwill impairment, and a write-down of investment securities affected by the stock market slump. Net loss attributable to Panasonic Corporation is expected to be 780.0 billion yen, a deterioration from the previous forecast of a loss of 420.0 billion yen mainly as a result of incurring an adjustment to deferred tax assets and liabilities for changes in Japanese corporate tax rates. Net loss attributable to Panasonic Corporation, per share is anticipated to be 337.33 yen, compared with the previous forecast of a loss of 181.64 yen.

Panasonic Corporation is one of the world's leading manufacturers of electronic and electric products for consumer, business and industrial use. Panasonic's shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York Stock Exchanges.

For more information, please visit the following web sites:

Panasonic home page URL: http://panasonic.net/

Panasonic IR web site URL: http://panasonic.net/ir/

Disclaimer Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934) about Panasonic and its Group companies (the Panasonic Group). To the extent that statements in this press release do not relate to historical or current facts, they constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the current assumptions and beliefs of the Panasonic Group in light of the information currently available to it, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the Panasonic Group's actual results, performance, achievements or financial position to be materially different from any future results, performance, achievements or financial position expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Panasonic undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements after the date of this press release. Investors are advised to consult any further disclosures by Panasonic in its subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and its other filings.

The risks, uncertainties and other factors referred to above include, but are not limited to, economic conditions, particularly consumer spending and corporate capital expenditures in the United States, Europe, Japan, China and other Asian countries; volatility in demand for electronic equipment and components from business and industrial customers, as well as consumers in many product and geographical markets; currency rate fluctuations, notably between the yen, the U.S. dollar, the euro, the Chinese yuan, Asian currencies and other currencies in which the Panasonic Group operates businesses, or in which assets and liabilities of the Panasonic Group are denominated; the possibility of the Panasonic Group incurring additional costs of raising funds, because of changes in the fund raising environment; the ability of the Panasonic Group to respond to rapid technological changes and changing consumer preferences with timely and cost-effective introductions of new products in markets that are highly competitive in terms of both price and technology; the possibility of not achieving expected results on the alliances or mergers and acquisitions including the business reorganization after the acquisition of all shares of Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd. and SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.; the ability of the Panasonic Group to achieve its business objectives through joint ventures and other collaborative agreements with other companies; the ability of the Panasonic Group to maintain competitive strength in many product and geographical areas; the possibility of incurring expenses resulting from any defects in products or services of the Panasonic Group; the possibility that the Panasonic Group may face intellectual property infringement claims by third parties; current and potential, direct and indirect restrictions imposed by other countries over trade, manufacturing, labor and operations; fluctuations in market prices of securities and other assets in which the Panasonic Group has holdings or changes in valuation of long-lived assets, including property, plant and equipment and goodwill, deferred tax assets and uncertain tax positions; future changes or revisions to accounting policies or accounting rules; natural disasters including earthquakes, prevalence of infectious diseases throughout the world and other events that may negatively impact business activities of the Panasonic Group; as well as direct or indirect adverse effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake on the Panasonic Group in terms of, among others, component procurement, manufacturing, distribution, economic conditions in Japan including consumer spending and sales activities overseas, and direct or indirect adverse effects of the flooding in Thailand on the Panasonic Group in terms of, among others, component procurement and manufacturing. The factors listed above are not all-inclusive and further information is contained in Panasonic's latest annual reports, Form 20-F, and any other reports and documents which are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Apple broadens Australian patent lawsuit with 278 claims against Samsung

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 01:51 AM PST

Its legal fortunes may be souring in Germany today, but that hasn't stopped Apple from launching an all-out assault in Australia, where the company has just ramped up its ongoing patent battle against Samsung. As the Australian reports, Cupertino has expanded its complaint to 278 claims, covering 72 patents and a full ten products -- including some smartphones and tablets that have yet to launch in Australia. (Apple's original suit, by comparison, involved only three patents, concerning the Galaxy Tab 10.1.) Apple won an injunction against Samsung's tablet last year, but that was overturned in November. With its subsequent appeal shot down, Apple now appears to be ramping up its forces, though it's unlikely that we'll see a conclusion anytime soon. Samsung's lead lawyer Neil Young said the Korean manufacturer received short notice of its rival's latest suit, which means it won't be able to file a defense until mid-May.

HTC acknowledges long-running WiFi security flaw, says it deliberately kept it quiet

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 01:13 AM PST

As far back as September, security researchers discovered a "critical" bug in many HTC Android handsets that exposed users' WiFi credentials to any hacker who cared to look. The flaw affected recent devices like the Thunderbolt and EVO 4G all the way back to the Desire HD. The researchers promptly notified HTC, but the manufacturer waited a full five months before acknowledging the flaw publicly a few days ago. Sounds shady, perhaps, but HTC sent us a statement clarifying that this is standard policy to protect customers. It says it waited to develop a fix before it alerted the big bad world to the vulnerability. Most newer devices have already received their fix OTA, but owners of some older phones -- we'll update this post when we know exactly which ones -- will need to check the HTC Support site for a manual update next week. Meanwhile, in the manufacturer's defense, the guys at the Open1X group who discovered the bug say that HTC was "very responsive and good to work with." Here's HTC's statement to us:

"HTC takes customer data security very seriously. If there is a known breach of sensitive customer data, our priority is customer notification along with corrective actions. It is our policy, and industry standard procedure, to protect customers, which sometimes necessitates not increasing data security risks by disclosing minor breach issues where no malicious applications are detected. In those cases, premature disclosure of vulnerabilities could spur creation of malicious apps to take advantage of any vulnerability before it is fixed. For this specific WiFi bug issue, we worked closely with Google and the security researchers from the date of notification and throughout this process to ensure that the majority of affected HTC phones had already received the fix prior to the vulnerability being made public."

Motorola wins permanent injunction against Apple's iCloud in German court (update: ban lifted)

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 12:11 AM PST

There's another legal brouhaha brewing in Germany, where Motorola today won an injunction against Apple's iCloud. In a decision handed down from the infamous Mannheim Regional Court this morning, Judge Andreas Voss issued a permanent injunction against Cupertino's cloud-based service and any devices that use it, following a complaint that Motorola originally filed in April of last year. The two companies, as you may recall, have been going at each other rather aggressively in Germany, where Motorola scored a similar victory, back in November. At issue in today's ruling is a European Patent that outlines a "multiple pager status synchronization system and method," upon which iCloud, Motorola claims, infringes. The injunction, as FOSS Patents explains, targets Apple's Ireland-based European distribution branch, but it only applies to the German market -- not Europe, as a whole. And while it's technically "permanent," it's still "preliminarily enforceable," which means Apple can (and likely will) appeal. Motorola, meanwhile, can seek to enforce it, if it's willing to post a €100 million bond. Apple had been seeking a bond of €2 billion, but was ultimately denied. For more of the legal nitty gritty, check out the source link below.

Update 1: Citing a statement from Apple, Germany's Deutsche Presse-Agentur news agency is now reporting that the company has pulled the iPhone 3G, the iPhone 3GS, and the iPhone 4 from its German online store, along with any 3G/UMTS-enabled iPads. The move appears to come in response not to today's ruling, but to a decision issued in December, when Motorola won an injunction against Apple, on the grounds that its 3G/UMTS technology infringes upon one of Moto's European patents. According to FOSS Patents, Apple presumably lost its appeal to the Karlsruhe Higher Regional Court, after Motorola sought to enforce the injunction.

Update 2: Apple has formally responded to each of today's events, confirming its plans to appeal the court's ruling on iCloud, and explaining its reasoning for pulling its products. "Apple believes this old pager patent is invalid and we're appealing the courts decision," the company said in an e-mailed statement to PaidContent. As for the 3G/UMTS case, Apple says it's still lobbying for a reversal, and that the pulled devices are still available at brick-and-mortar retailers within Germany. "While some iPad and iPhone models are not available through Apple's online store in Germany right now, customers should have no problem finding them at one of our retail stores or an authorised reseller," the statement reads. "Apple is appealing this ruling because Motorola repeatedly refuses to license this patent to Apple on reasonable terms, despite having declared it an industry standard patent seven years ago."

Update 3: And just like that, the BBC is reporting that Apple's exhortations have been heard, and the ban has been lifted. Details are few, but Cupertino had this to say about this latest turn of events:
"All iPad and iPhone models will be back on sale through Apple's online store in Germany shortly."

Self-aware headphones switch channels depending on which ear they're in (video)

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 11:52 PM PST

Life is fraught: social interaction, inflation and fashion all conspire to ruin your day. Even the simple act of firing up your PMP can send you to the floor in tears if you discover your earbuds are in the wrong way, forever ruining the beautiful stereo trickery of The White Album. Fortunately, Japan's Science and Technology Agency has beavered away at this most first-world of problems with its Universal Earphones Project. One earpiece holds a proximity sensor, which if it's pointing at your ear, pumps out the left-channel, if it's facing away from you, it pumps out the right channel (pictured). It's also capable of working out if you've shared your sounds with a friend and will push out a mono mix to both headphones -- so neither of you miss out on the other half. Amazing to think all of the money and manpower that went into a solution to save you having to read the letters "L" and "R" and making a decision for yourself. After the break we've got a video explaining it, just be warned that the narrator is synthesized, it's not a serial killer.

Nikon posts Q3 2011 earnings, sees significant losses due to Thailand floods

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 11:15 PM PST

Nikon posted its Q3 earnings report this morning, and there isn't a whole lot to smile about. The cameramaker had to swallow a one-off loss of ¥10.9 billion last quarter (approximately $143.1 million), due to widespread flooding that devastated its Thailand manufacturing plant, in October. Today's report comes just a day after Sony issued similarly dire figures, which it largely attributed to last year's flooding, as well. For the third quarter ended December 31st, Nikon posted a ¥3.7 billion loss (about $48.6 million), compared with the ¥9.7 billion ($127.3 million) it saw in net profits over the same period in 2010. Operating profits also fell to ¥8.2 billion from ¥18.6 billion in 2010, while total revenue dropped from ¥253.8 billion in Q3 2010 to ¥215.4 billion, last quarter. The company remains optimistic about the future, though, forecasting net gains of ¥55 billion this year, coupled with an expected revenue of ¥925 billion. For the full report, check out the source links below.

Avid Studio rolls onto iPad, treads on iMovie's toes (video)

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 09:43 PM PST

There may be a number of options for budding iPad Scorseses, now you can add Avid's "Studio" to that list. Conveniently launching at the same price as iMovie, Avid's intention to woo Apple's users is clear. Those five bucks get you a tidy storyboard solution, "precision" editing, the usual array of transitions and effects, plus multi-channel audio support (including access to your iTunes library). Video can be shot from the device itself, of course, and camera kit owners can import footage from your archives. The final results can then be rendered in either 480p, 540p and 720p or shared via the usual social options. Most importantly, projects can also be finished off in the desktop version -- handy, if they start getting into Titanic territory. It's available today, just focus your iPad at the app store (or the source link below).

Tucows launches Ting, a contract-free mobile service on Sprint's network

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 07:58 PM PST

Tucows launches Ting, a contract-free mobile service on Sprint's network
Harken back to the days of Windows 95, and you may remember downloading a few shareware titles to your Compaq or Packard Bell courtesy of Tucows and its network of mirror sites. While the company is no longer of much relevance in the software arena, it's recently launched a mobile service called Ting that operates on Sprint's network, and like many of its competitors (think Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile), no contract is needed. That's not to suggest everything is the same, however, as unlike other carriers, Ting offers to reimburse you for your unused voice, text and data allotments -- think of it as rollover to your wallet. Curious to know more? We've laid out and explained the full spread of Ting's phones and plans after the break.

As no contracts are required, subscribers must pay for their handsets outright. There are six smartphones total, beginning with the Zio ($105) and Optimus S ($155) on the low-end. Beyond that, shoppers will discover the Transform ($245) and Conquer 4G ($295) in the middle of the pack, all the way up to the EVO Shift 4G Detail ($395) and Photon 4G ($545). Each of the 4G-capable handsets may use Sprint's WiMAX network. Meanwhile, two feature phones are also in the mix, which include the Samsung Reclaim ($45) and the M360 ($65).


Naturally, the true savings comes with the plans, where customers may choose between six tiers for voice, data and text messages. While a voice plan isn't required (free), 100 minutes can be had for just $3, whereas a more reasonable 500 minutes can be scored for $9. SMS is treated similarly, as 100 messages costs just $3, while 4,000 can be found for merely $11. Unfortunately, data rates are less enticing. While 100MB can again be purchased for $3, 1GB costs $24 and 2GB costs a lofty $42. In the case of each, whenever you exceed your voice, data or text allotment, you'll be bumped into the next tier and then reimbursed for your unused portion. It's also worth noting that Ting doesn't charge additional fees for tethering or hotspot use -- this simply counts toward your data usage, as it should.
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Tucows Launches Ting - A New US Mobile Phone Service

Ting Promises "Mobile That Makes Sense"

TORONTO, Feb. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Tucows Inc. (NYSE AMEX: TCX, TSX:TC), a global Internet services company dedicated to making simple useful services that unlock the power of the Internet, today announced the launch of Ting, a mobile phone service dedicated to bringing clarity and control to US mobile phone customers.

Small businesses and families in the US are overpaying for mobile service and underserved by their mobile service providers. With Ting, Tucows seeks to offer a fresh alternative by emphasizing clarity, usability, a sincere commitment to customer support and significant monthly savings.

"What people are forced to put up with from mobile service providers just doesn't make sense. It's too complicated, too opaque, too adversarial, too expensive and frankly too inhuman," said Elliot Noss, CEO of Tucows. "We're changing that. Ting is a mobile service that makes sense."

Ting has a very different approach to pricing than the major providers. Minutes, messages and megabytes are each billed separately. If customers use less of any than they anticipated, they are credited at the end of the month. If they use more, they are simply billed the appropriate additional amount, without onerous penalties or premiums. Businesses and families can pool an unlimited number of phones and data devices on one Ting account, offering even greater savings over other providers' more limited sharing options.

People considering Ting are encouraged to instantly calculate how much they'll save with Ting by entering past bills from their current provider into the Ting Phone Savings Calculator on the Ting site (http://ting.com/calculator).

The site offers customers clear, visual snapshots of their usage throughout the month and a great deal of administrative control over usage and device features.

The customer support team boasts a "no hold policy" from 8am-8pm ET Monday through Friday and "geek support" from smart, passionate people that are empowered to solve problems.

Ting is now available to US businesses and families at Ting.com (http://ting.com).

New LED flash controller promises to give floodlight brightness at cell phone size

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 07:18 PM PST

Still looking forward to a world where cell phone cameras don't suck? So is STMicroelectronics, and it hopes to hurry along a photogenic future with the help of a new supercapacitor-powered integrated camera flash. STCF04, the outfit's new integrated camera flash and torch controller, gives its LED flash module over 40 Watts of power, reportedly allowing it to give off the same level of brightness as an outdoor security floodlight -- handily blinding your friends and family with each merry burst of the bulb. STMicroelectronics says this luminescent overkill helps high-megapixel camera sensors absorb more light, cutting down on the need for longer exposure time and hopefully resulting in less image blur when shooting indoors. The sensor packs in eight user-selectable flash levels, and features up to 12 levels of brightness for torch (you know, flashlight) use. Phone or camera manufactures who want in on the action will be able to order the chip for $2 a pop later this year -- if they're willing to risk giving Mr. Blurrycam a break, that is. Hit the break for a flash of the chip's official press release.
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STMicroelectronics Breaks through LED Camera Flash Limitations

Supercapacitor LED flash/torch controller upgrades conventional camera module architecture to deliver floodlight-strength flash power

STCF04
Geneva, January 31, 2012 -

An innovative IC from STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, will enable compact digital cameras and cameraphones to satisfy demands for increased power from the built-in flash unit while supporting more sophisticated user controls.

ST's new chip, the STCF04, is an integrated camera flash and torch controller that raises the maximum power of an LED flash module from a few Watts, typical of today's designs, to over 40 Watts, producing the brightness equivalent to an outdoor security floodlight. The new device also provides extra flash and torch brightness controls, with eight user-selectable levels for the flash and 12 for the torch, as well as a light-sensor input. Flash and torch safety timers, temperature sensing and short-circuit protection features are also built in.

The STCF04 is used in a unique configuration combining a supercapacitor, a discrete high-current MOSFET switch and high-power white LEDs, and is ideal for use in emergency high-intensity flashing lights as well as camera and cameraphone applications.

The discrete MOSFET is the key to the STCF04's power advantage over other controllers that usually integrate a MOSFET of lower rating on the chip. Its extra power enables designers to provide the higher quantities of light energy required by today's high-Mpixel camera sensors by specifying an LED flash unit rather than a conventional high-power xenon flash, thereby gaining the advantage of a compact and simplified design.

Since ST began sampling the STCF04, two major partners – Murata which is leading producer of supercapacitors (MURATA) and OSRAM which is a top-tier supplier of flash modules for leading smartphone platforms have begun using the device to showcase the best capabilities of their latest products.

Major features of STCF04:
• Maximum flash power >40W
• 1 x 320mA torch current
• 100mA privacy indicator red LED output; 12 adjustment steps
• I2C bus with selectable address
• Temperature sensing, short-circuit, over-voltage and flash/torch timer safety features

Available in the 25-bump 3 x 3mm TFBGA package, the STCF04 is currently sampling. Full production is planned at the end of Q1 2012 priced at $2.00 for orders of 1000 pieces. Alternative pricing options may be available for higher quantities.

ConnecTV social companion beta launches for iPad, PC and Mac (hands-on)

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 06:04 PM PST

The old guard's attempt at a social TV companion just got real with the launch of ConnecTV in open beta for iPad, PC and Mac -- smartphones and Android tablet versions are coming soon. The idea is you'll load up this app while watching TV and find a whole new way to discover details of your favorite content while at the same time share with your friends. The app uses a mic to detect what you're watching just like IntoNow and links up with both Facebook or Twitter (it'll also work on its own). Overall we were underwhelmed and quickly realizing that the other startups are way ahead in both release date and functionality. For starters, there are plenty of channels missing and not a single channel number. You can't even search for your favorite shows or channels. But even when it did manage to figure out what we were watching, we felt like we were being forced fed useless data like trivia and ads rather than having useful information like actors or players names at our finger tips. There's no doubt in our mind that the app was designed more to make us discover certain content rather than discover shows based on our actual tastes. Then again, this is the first version out of the gate, but somehow we think ConnecTV's business model will get in the way of ever making anything truly useful.
ConnecTV social companion launches for iPad, PC and Mac (hands-on)
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ConnecTV Launches Most Comprehensive Social TV Service into Open Public Beta

Social Platform to Offer Companion Content for More Than 250 National Channels; Soon Rolling Out Exclusive Content to More Than 200 Local Affiliates and 26 Regional Sports Networks

Custom Content for Sunday's BIG GAME Showcases Live Play by Play Stats, Deep Social Integration, MVP and Best Ad Voting and More!

EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ConnecTV, the most comprehensive social platform for all TV fans, opens its doors to the public today so viewers can share every "Did you see that!" television moment from the world of sports, news, drama and reality programming - live or time-shifted - in a unique companion viewing experience. ConnecTV is available today in the Apple App store: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/connectv/id485589616?mt=8

"ConnecTV is designed as a unique new way to watch television: a second screen companion to the greatest medium in the history of entertainment and sports"
Powered by proprietary content recognition technology representing more than two years of engineering effort, ConnecTV instantly synchronizes its service to the largest stable of national cable channels, regional sports networks and leading local broadcasters across America. The ConnecTV experience integrates the richest and most diverse cache of content from its growing list of licensed partners - from play-by-play sports stats to the latest celebrity gossip and from competition reality results to local news. Thanks to a previously announced exclusive partnership with ten television station groups, ConnecTV will soon roll out tailored content for stations covering more than 76 million households.

ConnecTV's social platform lets users instantly see what their friends are watching and share their favorite TV moments with a single touch. ConnecTV's seamless social integration allows "viewsers" to automatically post what they are watching to friends on Facebook and Twitter by simply tuning in to their favorite program. With every change of the channel, users can also see the total number of their friends who "like" the show and invite those who are not watching to join them. ConnecTV users can chat with friends who are watching any program or join "show chat", which includes top fan Tweets and official Twitter feeds from players and leagues as well as show cast members, producers and networks.

ConnecTV's special coverage of Sunday's Big Game offers an immersive second-screen experience unlike any other: all the fast-changing player and team statistics and game betting lines provided in real time; historic Bowl Moments; "Did You Know?" factoids about the players and the game as well as special info about half-time star Madonna. Viewsers will also be able to vote for their choice of MVP throughout the game as well as choose the best ads of the day. ConnecTV registered users will be able to smack-talk and share their commentary in the show chat that includes official NFL and NBC Tweets – or chat with friends and create their own private Big Bowl parties on ConnecTV.

"ConnecTV is designed as a unique new way to watch television: a second screen companion to the greatest medium in the history of entertainment and sports," said Ian Aaron, ConnecTV Co-Founder. "At a time when increasingly more viewers are watching TV with a connected device in their hands, ConnecTV strives to give our consumers, our programming partners and our advertising clients a compelling new platform to drive engagement and reinvent the television experience."

The ConnecTV social TV platform is available beginning today in "Public Beta" in Apple's iPad App Store or directly from any browser at www.connectv.com. Current Beta Testers will be required to download the new version of ConnecTV to enjoy all the new features and functionality. ConnecTV's service is set to sync with and recognize more than 250 national channels, and will soon be introduced on more than 200 local ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, The CW and MyNetworkTV affiliate channels owned by America's leading broadcast groups. In addition, ConnecTV will be adding the top 26 regional sports networks over the next several months so sports enthusiasts can engage with their favorite local professional and college teams. ConnecTV initially supports iPad and browser based devices such as Macs and PC's. Soon to come: Android tablets and Smart Phones.

For a continually updated list of participating networks and local affiliates as well as supported second screen devices, or to download the app, please visit www.ConnecTV.com.

About ConnecTV

ConnecTV is the biggest social network designed specifically for TV fans. ConnecTV is a "second screen" companion entertainment experience that compliments the video programming delivered from Cable, Satellite, Over-the-Air or On-Line Service providers. The free ConnecTV app is now available at Apple's iPad App Store and via www.connectv.com. It is accessible on iOS or browser-based devices. ConnecTV is coming soon on Android tablets and smart phones. ConnecTV automatically connects television viewers while they watch their favorite programs and synchronizes engaging second screen content, including latest news, celebrity information, trivia, polls and play-by-play sports stats. ConnecTV subscribers can see what TV shows their friends are watching, invite them to a "viewing party" and start a real-time conversation. ConnecTV also makes it easy to share viewers' favorite TV moments using Facebook, Twitter and email.

Real-time or time-shifted, ConnecTV will work across all television programs and as a compliment to more than 250 channels and 26 regional sports networks. ConnecTV has partnered with 10 leading broadcast groups, including Barrington Broadcasting Group, Belo Corp., Cox Media Group, E.W. Scripps Co., Gannett Broadcasting, Hearst Television Inc., Media General Inc., Meredith Corp., Post-Newsweek Stations Inc. and Raycom Media. Collectively, the broadcasters have a reach of 76 million U.S. households and represents ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, The CW and MyNetworkTV affiliates in 45 of the nation's top 50 television markets. Nine of the 10 broadcast groups had previously formed a venture named Pearl, which, as part of this partnership, will expand and coordinate the affiliate base of participating local broadcasters for ConnecTV. All broadcast partners plan to integrate and synchronize their programming within ConnecTV and promote the new service on-air and on-line. A number of the aforementioned broadcasters have made an undisclosed investment in ConnecTV.

Compal Trinity ODM reference design eyes-on

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 05:00 PM PST

Here at AMD's Financial Analyst day, the company had a little demo area which is where we spotted this little number -- an ODM reference unit from Compal, stuffed with the company's upcoming Trinity APU. We're told the unit above is one of several, which are proof-of-concepts used to convince and show OEMs powerful, yet thin machines the duo hopes they'll bring to market. Inside this particular prototype is one of the lower voltage variants of Trinity (read: either the 17W or 25W part), which enables that svelte 18mm profile. Seeing as it is a one-off (and one that'll never come to market in this form), our impressions are moot, yet we'd be remiss if we didn't point out we were a little dismayed by its chassis, which was flimsy enough to put the existing flex champion, Toshiba's Z830, on notice. Still, with an estimated starting price of half an Ultrabook (roughly in the $500 to $600 range), we'll leave it up to you to decide exactly how much you value torsional rigidity. Other then that, viewing angles seemed good from the brief demo reel we watched, and there's plenty of connectivity onboard, with two USB 3.0 ports, mini-DisplayPort and HDMI flanking the left, followed by audio jacks, another USB, Ethernet and power along the right. Looks like thin and lights are about to get a whole lot more interesting later in the year, which, frankly is great -- it's about time Chipzilla got some worthy competition.
Compal Trinity ODM reference design eyes-on

AT&T connected Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S get Android Market Google Wallet installs

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 04:30 PM PST

So far, Google Wallet has its official US availability on NFC-compatible handsets limited by unfriendly carriers with their own mobile payment services in mind, but it appears that is no longer the case for Nexus handsets with AT&T SIMs inserted. Droid-Life reported the app is available in the market for AT&T-SIM'd HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus phones, which we were able to confirm on our own device (over any connection, as long as the AT&T card is in, switching back to a T-Mobile SIM made it disappear from the market again, although of course the app still worked). We also found it was available on our Nexus S under the same conditions, however that official blessing did not extend to the NFC-compatible Galaxy S II Skyrocket or Galaxy S II Global we tried. Interestingly, Droid-Life has also noticed easy access downloads for VZW Nexus that are rooted with their bootloaders unlocked, and of course there's still always another way to get it.

Skype rolls out update for Windows with full HD video calling, group screen sharing

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 03:54 PM PST

Skype rolled out its version 5.8 software update for Windows users today, and it brings with it a couple of fairly notable features. That includes full HD video calling (provided you have a suitable webcam and internet connection, of course), video calling to Facebook users (regardless of whether they have Skype installed or not), and group screen sharing, which will let folks share either their entire desktop or a single application with other participants on a conference call. That last feature is only available with Skype Premium, though. Other new features include a "push to talk" option that will let you set up a hotkey to trigger your microphone (for multiplayer gaming, for instance), the ability to hide offline Facebook contacts, and one possible fruit of the Microsoft acquisition: Bing toolbar integration.

Nokia Lumia 900 up for pre-order at Microsoft Store, $25 down puts you in line

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 03:02 PM PST

By now, you're well aware of the Lumia 900, the LTE-wielding Windows Phone that's set to do battle with the Titan II on AT&T. While we're still looking to a March arrival, if you happen to live close to a Microsoft retail store, you can pre-order one of these fine handsets for yourself today. We reached out to the folks in Redmond to confirm the news, who tell us that a Lumia 900 -- which has yet to be blessed with an official price -- can be secured for just $25. Of course, if you're nowhere within reach of a Microsoft outlet, well, it appears you've got a long drive ahead of you. Anyone road tripping it for this one?

SpaceX test-fires its 'super' rocket engines (video)

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 02:13 PM PST

Spaceflight start-up, SpaceX, has been demonstrating the potency of its SuperDraco rockets, testing at its own facility over in Texas. The rockets will help land its Dragon spacecraft -- as demonstrated in a swish animation last year. They will also power emergency escape functions, something that will, according to founder Elon Musk, make the Dragon "the safest spacecraft in history." It has already made a successful orbital flight and will tote eight engines apparently offering up to 120,000 pounds of thrust to the spaceship. Unfortunately, SpaceX's plan for a February launch was postponed in favor of continued development time, but we're not going complain if the company still fulfills its promise of ferrying people to the ISS. Countdown from ten for ignition right after the break.

AU Optronics, Idemitsu Kosan announce 'strategic alliance' on OLED development

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 01:29 PM PST

The OLED-infused future is fast approaching in Taiwan, where AU Optronics today announced a "strategic alliance" with Japanese firm Idemitsu Kosan. According to AUO, the partnership will see both companies collaborate on new OLED displays and patents, with Idemitsu filling the role of supplier. Taiwan-based AUO delivered the following statement: "This will accelerate business growth in AUO's small-sized OLED displays for smartphones and tablets, which have emerged as a new growth area in the display industry, and that of large-sized OLED displays for TVs." There's no indication as to when we might see the first fruits of this alliance, but as AUO VP Paul Peng recently reminded us, it may be a while.
Show full PR text
Feb 02, 2012 04:26 ET
AUO and Idemitsu Form Strategic Alliance for OLED

HSINCHU, Taiwan, Feb. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- AU Optronics ("AUO" or the "Company") (TAIEX: 2409; NYSE: AUO) today announced that the Company and Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Idemitsu") agreed to form a strategic alliance in the field of OLED, which is expected to be used for next generation displays. The strategic alliance includes technological collaboration to develop high-performance OLED displays and OLED-related patents.

Under this strategic alliance, Idemitsu will supply high-performance OLED materials to AUO, including device structure proposal. On the other hand, AUO will reinforce the development of OLED products using high-performance OLED materials supplied by Idemitsu. This will accelerate business growth in AUO's small-sized OLED displays for smartphone and tablet, which have emerged as a new growth area in the display industry, and that of large-sized OLED displays for TV.

Idemitsu has long been dedicated to the research and development of OLED materials. In 2007, Idemitsu established its OLED materials manufacturing plant in Omaezaki, Shizuoka. In recent years, the company continues to reinforce the deployment of its OLED supply system. AUO is a global leader in the design, R&D and manufacturing of LCD, with a research staff of more than 3,500 worldwide. AUO has long invested in the research and development of AMOLED and currently holds several hundreds of OLED-related patents. Through this strategic alliance, both companies will be able to enjoy the benefits of reciprocal synergy in the OLED business, effectively increasing competitiveness on both sides and build a foundation to demonstrate leadership in the industry.

Furthermore, both companies will study the possibility of collaboration in the fields other than OLED.

ABOUT AU OPTRONICS

AU Optronics Corp. (AUO) is a global leader of thin film transistor liquid crystal display panels (TFT-LCD). AUO is able to provide customers with a full range of panel sizes and comprehensive applications, offering TFT-LCD panels in sizes ranging from 1.2 inches to greater than 71 inches. AUO generated NT$379.7 billion in sales revenue in 2011 (US$ 12.54 billion) with global operations in Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the U.S., and Europe. Additionally, AUO is the first pure TFT-LCD manufacturer to be successfully listed at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). AUO extended its market to the green energy industry in late 2008. The Display and Solar businesses were established respectively as the Company's two core businesses in October, 2010. For more information, please visit AUO.com.

* 2011 year end revenue converted at an exchange rate of NTD30.27:USD1.

ABOUT IDEMITSU

Idemitsu was established on March 20, 1940. Its main businesses include: Petroleum refining and manufacture and sale of oil products, manufacture and sale of petrochemical products and renewable energy; development and extraction of petroleum and other mineral resources; development, manufacture, and sale of functional electronic materials; the company also engages in the research and development of renewable energy sources, agricultural and other chemicals. The company is one of the largest petroleum and petrochemical companies in Japan, with a registered capital of 108,600 million yen, and a staff of 8,200. In 2010, Idemitsu's annual revenues amounted to 3,659,301 million yen.

Safe Harbour Notice

AU Optronics Corp. ("AUO" or the "Company") (TAIEX: 2409; NYSE: AUO), a global leader of TFT-LCD panels, today announced the above news. Except for statements in respect of historical matters, the statements contained in this Release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements were based on our management's expectations, projections and beliefs at the time regarding matters including, among other things, future revenues and costs, financial performance, technology changes, capacity, utilization rates, yields, process and geographical diversification, future expansion plans and business strategy. Such forward looking statements are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including risks related to the flat panel display industry, the TFT-LCD market, acceptance of and demand for our products, technological and development risks, competitive factors, and other risks described in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on May 3rd, 2011.

SOURCE AU Optronics Corporation

Huawei's MediaPad joins AT&T's '4G' army, pauses to rethink possible

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:51 PM PST

Ready to rethink possible, tablet-style? AT&T announced today that it'll be getting its 4G (well, HSPA+, that is) paws on Huawei's MediaPad, roughly half a year after the Android tablet made its debut. The seven-incher offers up a 1.2GHz dual-core processor courtesy of Qualcomm, front and rear facing cameras and Honeycomb, with ICS still on the horizon. It'll arrive on the carrier tomorrow for "varying price points." Press release after the jump.
Show full PR text
Huawei's MediaPad Added to AT&T 4G Tablet Lineup

PLANO, Texas, Feb. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei today announced that its Huawei MediaPad will be connected to the AT&T network. The portable tablet delivers a premium user experience at an attractive price point, designed to meet the needs of AT&T's enterprise customers and consumers.

Key Facts

Beginning February 3, the MediaPad will be available to AT&T's enterprise users at varying price points depending on the business account.
The MediaPad is a feature-rich tablet that provides a premium user experience at an affordable price. This Android™-powered tablet is optimized for AT&T's 4G*network for video viewing, web browsing and all around experience at an affordable price.
The MediaPad includes a 7" IPS multi-touch display and Android™ 3.2 (Honeycomb) operating system.

Device Specs and Key Features

7" IPS multi-touch display at 1280x800 resolution
Android™ 3.2 (Honeycomb) operating system
1.2 Ghz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
5MP rear-facing and 1.3MP front-facing camera with 4X zoom and AF
1080p HD video recording and playback
Wi-Fi with AT&T Hotspots
7.61" x 4.71" x .41" dimensions at 14.08oz

"We're committed to working with AT&T to create influential devices that will provide consumers the best experience on AT&T's networks," said Cui Jiangao, President of Huawei Device USA.

The Engadget Podcast is live tonight at 5PM!

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:30 PM PST

Tim and Brian are back, live in studio, and this time out, there'll be some Josh Fruhlinger. Feeling left out? Don't despair -- you can join along in the chat after the break.


*** You can also stream the show live on your iPhone or iPad by clicking here.

VeriSign revealed to have suffered repeated security breaches in 2010

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:16 PM PST

It took some digging through more than 2,000 pages of SEC documents, but Reuters revealed today that VeriSign was attacked "repeatedly" by hackers in 2010, and that some undisclosed information was stolen from the company. The key danger there is the DNS records that the company manages -- which ensure that URLs take you to the correct website -- but VeriSign says that its executives "do not believe these attacks breached the servers that support our Domain Name System network." As Reuters notes, however, the company isn't ruling anything out. Details on the attacks themselves (or the exact number and timing of them) are otherwise hard to come by, but it's reported that VeriSign's security staff did not notify top management until September of 2011 -- although they are said to have "responded" to the attacks themselves.

IRL: Voltaic Spark, LG Optimus One and the Galaxy Nexus

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 12:00 PM PST

Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.

Want to read about Facebook's inflated valuation? A (debunked) rumor that Snooki is pregnant? Neither do we. So, let's do what we do best, and talk gadgets instead. This week, Engadget editor Don Melanson defends his phone of choice, James takes the Voltaic Spark for a spin in Spain and Mat talks about bonding with the Galaxy Nexus at CES. (Sadly, this fling, like others before it, stayed in Vegas.) How's it all working out for them? As always, we've got your quick takes tucked after the break.

Voltaic Spark

In London, sunny days are a summertime-only treat, so owning a solar-powered charger / bag requires a bit of optimism. Spain, however, is a different story. A recent drive to the east coast of the peninsula seemed like a good excuse to put one to the test. The Spark is primarily a tablet case, but I found it capacious enough to hold not only my iPad, but my Kindle, travel documents and a few cables, etc. with plenty of room to spare. The bag has a hard outer shell, which keeps your gadgets safe, and there's a convenient (though sadly unpadded) strap for lugging it about.

The battery inside comes pre-charged and is good for a few tablet top-ups, but it was the recharging out in the "field" that interested me. Valencia in December is far from tropical, but skies are clear and blue, and temperatures still reach the twenties (C) / seventies (F), so it was still a great chance to test the solar panels. Walking around the city meant a mix of periods spent in the sun and shade. Predictably, the charging lights kicked in comfortably when exposed to direct sunlight; in the shade -- not so much. One side effect I noted: this thing is eye-catching. My companion and I were accosted several times by intrigued shop-keepers, asking what was in the bag, and it constantly received curious glances as we walked around.

Spending a few hours out in Iberian daylight added enough power for a small charge, but it definitely needs to be banked up a little more if you want to get a full cycle out of it. The battery has two USB ports, one for six-volt output, and the other for more power hungry 12-volt devices, but it means you can cover your most important items -- e.g., your phone and tablet. As we were doing a lot of driving on the trip, I found leaving it in the back window (not while parked, obviously) was another good way to squeeze some cheeky sunlight into it while on the move. I have to say, there is something indescribably pleasing, almost liberating, about having a portable -- and, more importantly, free -- power source with you at all times. A shame, then, that I live in London, but it's an ideal holiday accessory nonetheless. I guess it goes without saying that this is no replacement for your dedicated power supply, but if you're looking for a case / bag anyway, and want the added bonus of on-the-fly power boosts, then this will certainly do that, for a price.
-- James Trew
Galaxy Nexus

While you've already heard we were totting all sorts of mobile devices at CES last month, European draftees like myself were slightly more constricted. Simple: switch around SIMs, right? Yeah, we do this a lot on in the UK, but trans-Atlantic switch-arounds often don't work out unless you know exactly what radios you're handling. I fortunately still had my hands on a Galaxy Nexus review sample -- and that pentaband radio meant I was able to keep my phone settings and cat wallpapers and simply swap in an AT&T SIM. HSPA+ data speeds were mine -- when I wasn't swimming in EDGE or juggling WiFi.

The Galaxy Nexus did exactly what I hoped it would. Sure, the camera wasn't going to see much professional use -- we had Engadget-issued NEX-C3s for that -- and there was no S-Pen to make notes on the fly, but its multitasking chops made light work of switching between the convention center's Google Map schematics, my show floor notes, and Engadget's mobile site. Now, if only there was LTE reception on this European model...
-- Mat Smith

LG Optimus One

This may come as a bit of a surprise considering the publication I write for, but I don't always feel an urgent need to upgrade to the latest and greatest devices. My main computer is a non-unibody MacBook Pro that's still going strong (it's the last model before Apple switched to the current design, and its keyboard still trumps any performance needs), and my phone is a decidedly not-high-end LG Optimus One (mostly identical to the Optimus T in the US).

I bought it over a year ago because at $150, it was one of the best reasonably priced options to be had off-contract; here in Canada, smartphones are generally sold with agreements lasting three years, not two, which has caused me to studiously avoid contracts altogether. I also figured it'd be a relatively short-term solution to tide me over until something swayed me enough to take the plunge into contract-land, or shell out for a pricier off-contract option.

Since then, I've come to like the Optimus One quite a bit. It's small (something I still consider a plus), solid and its performance remains surprisingly good for most basic tasks. It also finally received a Gingerbread update not too long ago, which provided a welcome improvement (albeit at a slight expense to battery life). Of course, there are some considerable downsides. The camera is lackluster, and the low resolution 3.2-inch screen is fast becoming a deal-breaker as more and more apps become tailored to higher-res displays (not to mention the many games that are simply incompatible). But for a $150 phone (now available for even less) it's hard to complain, even though I can't quite give it the same recommendation I would have a year ago.
-- Don Melanson

AMD's new plan: focus on tablets, cloud computing and developing markets

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 11:44 AM PST

Chipzilla has long been atop the PC chip manufacturing mountain, with AMD running a rather distant second. That's why AMD's new top man, Rory Read, plans to move the company in a more mobile direction. Speaking at the company's analyst day, Read stated that the chipmaker will focus on outflanking Intel in the tablet space and by growing its business in cloud computing and emerging markets like China (read: entry-level PCs and devices). As to whether AMD would venture into the smartphone space, Read was quite clear in stating that there were no plans to do so. But, he did make mention of being flexible when it came to chip architecture, including using 3rd party IP in developing new silicon -- so a switch to ARM may not be out of the question. How will AMD accomplish its new goals? By focusing on execution of its technology rather than trying to be on the bleeding edge -- sound familiar?
Show full PR text
AMD Strategy Transformation Brings Agile Delivery of Industry-Leading IP to the Market

- Product Roadmap Enhancements Illustrate Plans to Accelerate Growth in Low Power, Emerging Markets and Cloud Computing -
- First System-on-a-Chip (SoC) Solutions Expected to Arrive in 2013 -

SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Feb. 2, 2012 - At its annual Financial Analyst Day, AMD (NYSE: AMD) detailed a new "ambidextrous" strategy that builds on the company's long history of x86 and graphics innovation while embracing other technologies and intellectual property to deliver differentiated products.

AMD is adopting an SoC-centric roadmap designed to speed time-to-market, drive sustained execution, and enable the development of more tailored customer solutions. SoC design methodology is advantageous because it is a modular approach to processor design, leveraging best practice tools and microprocessor design flows with the ability to easily re-use IP and design blocks across a range of products.

"AMD's strategy capitalizes on the convergence of technologies and devices that will define the next era of the industry," said Rory Read, president and CEO, AMD. "The trends around consumerization, the cloud and convergence will only grow stronger in the coming years. AMD has a unique opportunity to take advantage of this key industry inflection point. We remain focused on continuing the work we began last year to re- position AMD. Our new strategy will help AMD embrace the shifts occurring in the industry, marrying market needs with innovative technologies and become a consistent growth engine."

Additionally, AMD today announced updates to its product roadmaps for AMD Central Processing Unit (CPU) and Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) products it plans to introduce in 2012 and 2013. The roadmap modifications address key customer priorities across form factors including ultrathin notebooks, tablets, all-in-ones, desktops and servers with a clear focus on low power, emerging markets and the Cloud.

AMD's updated product roadmap features second generation mainstream ("Trinity") and low-power ("Brazos 2.0") APUs for notebooks and desktops; "Hondo," an APU specifically designed for tablets; new CPU cores in 2012 and 2013 with "Piledriver" and its successor, "Steamroller," as well as "Jaguar," which is the successor to AMD's popular "Bobcat" core. In 2012, AMD plans to introduce four new AMD OpteronTM processors. For a more in-depth look at AMD's updated product roadmap, please visit http://blogs.amd.com.

Next-generation Architecture Standardizes and Facilitates Software Development
AMD also provided further details on its Heterogeneous System Architecture (HSA), which enables software developers to easily program APUs by combining scalar processing on the CPU with parallel processing on the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), all while providing high bandwidth access to memory at low power. AMD is proactively working to make HSA an open industry standard for the developer community. The company plans to hold its 2nd annual AMD Fusion Developer Summit in June, 2012.

New Company Structure Strengthens Execution

In conjunction with announcing its restructuring plan in November 2011, AMD has strengthened its leadership team with the additions of Mark Papermaster as senior vice president and chief technology officer, Rajan Naik as senior vice president and chief strategy officer, and Lisa Su as senior vice president and general manager, global business units. These executives will help ensure that sustainable, dependable execution becomes a hallmark of AMD.

Supporting Resources

Visit the AMD Financial Analyst Day website for webcast replay, presentations, updated roadmap, and more
Visit AMD Blogs for more details on AMD's product roadmap changes
Follow AMD on Twitter at @AMD_Unprocessed
Like AMD on Facebook

Google's 'Bouncer' service scans the Android Market for malware, will judge you at the door

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 11:30 AM PST

Google has had its fair share of malware-related problems in the Android Market, but that's hopefully about to change, now that the company has announced a new security-enhancing service. Codenamed "Bouncer," Mountain View's new program sounds pretty simple, in principle: it just automatically scans the Market for malware, without altering the Android user experience, or requiring devs to run through an app approval process. According to Hiroshi Lockheimer, Android's VP of Engineering, Bouncer does this by scanning recently uploaded apps for spyware, trojans or any other lethal components, while looking out for any suspicious behavior that may raise a red flag. The service also runs a simulation of each app using Google's cloud-based infrastructure, and regularly checks up on developer accounts to keep repeat offenders out of the Android Market. Existing apps, it's worth noting, will be subject to the same treatment as their more freshly uploaded counterparts. Lockheimer went on to point out that malware is on the decline in the Market, citing a 40 percent drop between the first and second halves of 2011, and explained some of Android's fundamental security features, including its sandboxing and permission-based systems. Head for the source link below to read the post in full.

BLU Studio 5.3 and Touch Book 7.0 hands-on

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 11:30 AM PST

You know handset vendors like Samsung, LG, HTC and Motorola. You've probably even heard that manufacturers such as Pantech, Sharp and Acer produce phones as well. But have you ever heard of BLU? If you haven't, don't worry -- you'd be in the ranks of the 99 percent. Calling itself the "leader of the Latin America market with vision to expand worldwide," the outfit is nothing if not confident about its stature in developing countries. In the US, however, it's a completely different story: here, BLU is a virtual unknown: a low-profile brand, selling unlocked phones and tablets via e-tailers at bargain-basement prices.

Our friends at Negri Electronics hooked us up with the BLU Studio 5.3 ($260) and BLU Touch Book 7.0 ($230) for a short time, giving us the chance to play around with them for a little bit. Rather than doing a full review on both items, we felt it was more appropriate to first give the product lineup a formal introduction to the site. BLU, meet Engadget. Engadget, BLU. Let's dive in.



Studio 5.3



The Studio 5.3, also known as the BLU D510, was released last month and is by far the more interesting of the two devices. Bearing a 5.3-inch display (hence the name), it's tempting to knight it as the KIRF Samsung Galaxy Note, though the similarities end with Gingerbread and that massive display.

As you'd imagine, a device with such a large screen isn't for everyone, but it will undoubtedly appeal to a select few budget-minded folks willing to accept the heft in return for larger icons, a bigger virtual keyboard and plenty of working space. However, doodlers and note takers may be put off by the lack of a stylus, and the WVGA display, though respectable and not as pixelated as we'd expected, still doesn't hold a candle to the Note's HD Super AMOLED.
BLU Studio 5.3 hands-on


Pulling out a ruler we find that the Studio measures 150 x 81 x 10.9mm (5.9 x 3.19 x 0.43 inches), which is slightly taller (3mm) and fatter (1.2mm) than the Note but just a tad skinnier (2mm). Weighing in at 6.77 ounces, it definitely isn't a lightweight either.

When affixing the KIRF label onto a $260 unlocked GSM device, it's easy to assume it's going to be another chintzy knockoff. On the contrary, the Studio doesn't emanate cheapness at all. In fact, its smooth curves and soft-touch plastic back are just a few design elements that make the device feel so good, so comfortable in hand. When playing with other phones in this price range, we more often than not feel as though they'll break apart into a thousand pieces as soon as we breathe on them. Not so with the Studio.

Admittedly, the components here fall short of the top-notch innards you'll find on the Note, so having the Studio go head-to-head against the likes of the Note simply wouldn't be a fair battle. For instance, the Studio is powered by a MediaTek MT6573 800MHz single-core CPU, a far cry from the Note's 1.4GHz dual-core Exynos powerhouse. Its Quadrant score barely grazed 800 -- an insignificant score compared to the Note's 4,000 -- and in the amount of time the Studio ran through one full cycle on SunSpider 9.1, the Note was able to lap it four times with plenty of milliseconds to spare.


Still, we found the capacitive screen to be more responsive than we were expecting, and the CPU was at least powerful enough to keep the stock Gingerbread device going at a relatively snappy pace. It presented us with a fair amount of lag, but it was nowhere near as much as we had originally presumed. Armed with the understanding that this is strictly meant to be a budget Android device, we were generally quite impressed with its polish.

Rounding out the specs, the Studio 5.3 runs stock Android 2.3.5 (screenshots below), boasts 512MB of RAM, a monstrous 2,500mAh battery, an LED flash for the camera and flashlight, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1, a second SIM slot and support for a FM radio.
BLU Studio 5.3 screenshots


A tour of the Studio reveals a few unique design choices. In addition to the standard four capacitive screen buttons on the front, BLU added a physical home button underneath that performs the same functions as its soft counterpart. The left side of the device features a screen orientation lock button right alongside the volume rocker, which we found convenient in several situations. The screen lock / power button, micro-USB charging port and 3.5mm headphone jack all reside up top. The phone's right edge remains void of buttons but does provide a PDMI port for charging, USB and audio / video.

Lifting up the cover, you'll see the gargantuan battery as well as another gem: dual SIM capability. While it's fairly common in other parts of the world to see phones that support two SIM cards, such devices are almost as rare as white unicorns here in the states. As a disclaimer, both slots can take advantage of quadband GSM / EDGE for global use, but only the first one offers a 850 / 1900 / 2100MHz UMTS / HSPA radio for AT&T 3G compatibility. An empty microSD slot hangs out next to the SIM cards, and without a doubt you're going to need extra storage space for the Studio -- internal storage is extremely limited, and the camera won't even turn on without external storage inserted.

The rear camera is a bit of a curiosity. It's advertised as a 5MP shooter (with an LED flash included), and is even labeled on the actual phone as such. But when snapping pictures, we stumbled across an option for eight-megapixel resolution. BLU doesn't come right out and say it, but given how highly compressed the higher-res images are, it seems as though the sensor is indeed five megapixels but simply has an option to upscale the pics. As a result, you won't be seeing any extra detail by opting for the higher setting -- a shame, since fine lines isn't an area where the camera excels. And while you can tweak the Studio's camera in numerous ways, thanks to the gratuitous amount of settings included within the UI such as autofocus, ISO, brightness, white balance, saturation and so on, it's not going to make a mountain of a difference. In many respects, it's a lot like putting lipstick on a pig: no matter how you dress up the photo, it's not going to look like it was taken with a DSLR.
BLU Studio 5.3 camera samples


The camera's also capable of taking 480p video at 30fps, which offers results par with what we've come to expect from a budget device -- it's slightly choppy at times and doesn't give the greatest color saturation, but the mic picked up our voice incredibly well while quieting down the noisy road in front of us.

We didn't have enough time to run the full gamut of intensive battery evaluations, but we were able to push the 2,500mAh juicepack through our standard video rundown test, which resulted in a total life of roughly seven hours. For folks keeping track at home, the Samsung Galaxy Note's identically sized battery lasted nine hours and thirty minutes.

Touch Book 7.0



The Touch Book 7.0 is BLU's first attempt at an Android tablet, and sadly there isn't much that makes this particular offering stand out of the crowd. If the Studio 5.3 is the KIRF Note, the Touch Book appears to be in the running for the title of KIRF Samsung Galaxy Tab -- the original version, that is.
BLU Touch Book 7.0 hands-on


In contrast to the Studio, the Touch Book does a better job of modeling its components close to the version it's KIRFing. In full disclosure, this wasn't as difficult a feat to pull off as its 5.3-inch sibling, considering the original Galaxy Tab came out in November 2010 and the Note only sharted shipping in October 2011.

The Touch Book is powered by an 800MHz single-core Qualcomm MSM7227-T CPU and 512MB of RAM, sports a 7-inch 800 x 480 display (giving it a pixel density of around 133ppi), uses a 3.2MP rear camera with no LED flash and includes quadband GSM and 850 / 1900 / 2100 UMTS and HSPA radios to offer AT&T support. It also suffers the same fate as the Studio when it comes to internal storage, which means you'll want to grab a microSD card to store photos, music and video. Oh, and the Touch Book runs stock Froyo. That's right, Android 2.2.2, to be specific.


The volume rocker and power / screen lock button reside on the upper edge of the device. The left is left sans ports or buttons and the bottom edge contains a 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD card. The back holds a speaker grille and a 3.2MP rear camera, awkwardly jutting out of the soft touch plastic back. On the right you'll find the easily accessible SIM card slot and proprietary BLU charging port, which uses a magnetic connection similar to the current lineup of MacBooks.

We were hoping to be pleasantly surprised with the Touch Book, akin to our first impressions of the Studio. Sadly, this wasn't the case. During our brief time with it, we couldn't find anything that made the tablet stand out above the hundreds of other knockoff Android slabs we've encountered. It was sluggish, the touchscreen wasn't incredibly responsive and the browser was so laggy it was painful to use.

Looking at the specs, the only thing that will really draw eyes to the Touch Book is the $230 retail price, but even then it may still be a difficult sale for budget-conscious tablet seekers. To provide a little perspective, it was released around the same time as the NOVO7, a $100 7-inch slate running Ice Cream Sandwich.

Wrap-up



Now that we've held hands and sung Kumbaya together, will we be inviting BLU to the annual company picnic this summer? We want to hand out love and affection to any respectable phone maker capable of producing a well-made budget device without relying on the control of carriers, after all. Given our first impressions of the Studio 5.3, the company's on track to accomplishing that feat, although the Touch Book 7.0 almost feels like a step backwards -- especially considering its close competition is bringing the heat for a lower cost. We'd like to see the manufacturer continue progressing in its craft and hopefully eventually it will be making the products getting KIRFed, instead of the other way around.

Edgar Alvarez contributed to this hands-on.

Windows Phone 8 detailed: dual cores, Skype Integration and NFC are a go

Posted: 02 Feb 2012 11:16 AM PST

If you thought Mango was the bee's knees, just wait till you get a hold of Apollo. No, seriously, keep waiting 'cause we have no idea when that will happen. While we still can't say when Windows Phone 8 will be making its way to a handset near you, we do have quite a few new details about the mobile OS courtesy of the folks over at PocketNow. The site managed to snag a copy of a video starring Windows Phone manager Joe Belfiore talking about what's coming in the next major revision. Those of you concerned with Microsoft's inability to go toe to toe with Apple and Google on specs can breathe a bit easier as new screen resolutions (four in total) and dual-core CPUs will be supported, while those clamoring for more storage will be happy to hear that microSD support has returned -- this time in an official capacity. Rounding out the new hardware features will be NFC support, including the Beam-like ability to share content by tapping, though, it'll have the advantage of being able to share with Windows 8 based tablets and laptops as well. And, speaking of Windows 8, its similarly numbered, phone-centric sibling won't just share a UI, it'll have many of the core components, including large chunks of the kernel, networking stack and security features -- which should make porting apps from the desktop to the handset a relatively simple affair.

Amazingly enough, the list of improvements doesn't end there. If you've been wondering when Microsoft was going to put its Skype acquisition to good use, wonder no more. A Windows Phone app for the VoIP service will debut alongside Apollo and will feature deep integration with the OS, including the ability to place calls the same as you would standard voice calls. A new live tile and app called DataSmart will make it easier for users to manage their data usage and ensure they don't end up eating insane overage fees. To milk every last bit out of that data plan Windows Phone will favor WiFi over a cellular connection and can be programmed to automatically connect to carrier-owned hotspots when they're in range. And, if that weren't enough, Microsoft plans to use proxy servers to compress web pages before feeding them to the mobile version of Internet Explorer 10, not unlike Opera Mini. Those of you who doubted that Windows Phone could actually keep pace with Android and iOS, now might be a good time to reevaluate your position. Hit up the source link for a few more details.

Update: If you want to get all of the details in a nice easy to glance list head after the break for a convenient bullet point presentation.
  • Support for dual cores
  • Support for four different resolutions, though no specifics were given
  • NFC support added, including payment and content sharing with WP8 and Windows 8 machines
  • Carrier control and branding of "wallet" element is possible via SIM or phone hardware
  • MicroSD support added for expandable storage
  • Transitions to core components from desktop, including kernel, network stack, security components and media support
  • Simplified porting of desktop apps to mobile
  • Zune desktop integration scrapped in favor of new, unnamed syncing app
  • Deeper Skydrive integration, including ability to sync data such as music collections
  • Xbox Companion app will get Windows 8 partner client
  • Native code support, simplified porting from Android and iOS
  • App-to-app communication and integration
  • Skype client with deep OS hooks that will make it almost identical to placing standard voice calls
  • Camera app now supports "lenses" which allow third parties to skin and add features to camera interface
  • DataSmart tracks and reports usage via app and live tile
  • Gives preferential treatment to WiFi, can automatically connect to carrier-owned hotspots
  • Proxy server will compress websites in Internet Explorer 10 up to 30 percent
  • Native Bitlocker encryption
  • Support for proprietary, custom built apps to be deployed behind company firewalls
at 11:55 AM

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