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Windows Phone shows signs of life
May 18th
Microsoft’s mobile platform has not been the blockbuster success the Redmond, Washington-based technology giant was hoping for thus far. Google’s Android OS and Apple’s iPhone are still dominating the smartphone space by a huge margin in the United States and abroad, while Microsoft’s share of the global smartphone market has continued to decline. According to a new report from market research firm Kantar WorldPanel, however, Windows Phone is finally showing signs of life in several key markets.
Kantar WorldPanel on Tuesday issued its report on smartphone market share in the U.S. and a number of large markets around the world, Reuters reported. According to the firm’s research, Android showed solid gains during the three month period ending in mid-April in nearly every major market Kantar covers, more than doubling its share to 62% in Germany and nearly doubling its share in both Spain and Italy.
Apple’s iPhone gained market share in the U.S. and United Kingdom thanks to strong iPhone 4S shipments according to Kantar, though Apple’s position did slip in Europe.
As Apple and Google continue to battle atop the smartphone charts, however, some good news has emerged for Microsoft. According to Kantar, Nokia’s Lumia phone launches have doubled Windows Phone’s market share to 6% in Germany, and boosted the platform’s share in the U.S., U.K., France and Italy to between 3% and 4%.
Nokia’s Symbian OS and Research In Motion’s BlackBerry platform were the biggest losers in Kantar’s report, with RIM’s share of the U.S. market plummeting to 3% from 9% in the same period a year ago.
Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/17/windows-phone-market-share-2012-kantar/
Facebook prices IPO at $38, valuation set at $104 billion
May 18th
Facebook Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering
MENLO PARK, Calif., May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) today announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 421,233,615 shares of its common stock at a price to the public of $38 per share. The shares are expected to begin trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on May 18, 2012, under the symbol “FB.” Facebook is offering 180,000,000 shares of Class A common stock and selling stockholders are offering 241,233,615 shares of Class A common stock. Closing of the offering is expected to occur on May 22, 2012, subject to customary closing conditions.
In addition, Facebook and the selling stockholders have granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 63,185,042 additional shares of Class A common stock to cover over-allotments, if any.
Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Goldman, Sachs Co., BofA Merrill Lynch, Barclays, Allen Company LLC, Citigroup, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank Securities are serving as book runners for the offering. RBC Capital Markets and Wells Fargo Securities are serving as active co-managers.
The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the prospectus related to the offering may be obtained from: Morgan Stanley Co. LLC, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10014, Attention: Prospectus Department (Tel: +1 866 718 1649; e-mail: prospectus(at)morganstanley.com); J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, (Tel: +1 866 803 9204); or Goldman, Sachs Co., 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, Attention: Prospectus Department (Tel: +1 866 471 2526, e-mail: prospectus-ny(at)ny.email.gs.com).
A registration statement related to these securities has been filed with, and declared effective by, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release shall not
Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/17/facebook-ipo-price-38-valuation-104-billion/
Mandatory ‘big brother’ black boxes leave drivers with privacy concerns
May 18th
The United States Senate has already passed a bill that would require data-recording “black boxes” to be equipped on every vehicle for the 2015 model year, and the House is also expected to approve the bill. The primary function of the black boxes, which are known as Electronic Data Recorders (EDRs), would be to “capture and store data related to motor vehicle safety,” and access to the EDR’s information is only through an “interoperable data access port.” Interestingly enough, EDRs are already found in almost 80% of all vehicles, including models from GM, Ford, Kia, Hyundai, and many others.
Black boxes can record the date and time, along with engine speed, steering angle, throttle position, braking status, force of impact, seatbelt status and air bag deployment, and are meant to help automakers make vehicles safer. It is unclear who actually owns the data, though.
“The owner of the vehicle should be in control of the data,” Paul Stephens, director or policy and advocacy for the Privacy Rights Clearing House said to Wired. “And [law enforcement] would need a subpoena, just as you can’t go into someone’s house and grab evidence. But everything is subject to judicial procedure and it’s always possible to get a subpoena to get that information.”
The bill does allow first responders such as police, paramedics and firefighters to access the data without a court order, however, if it aids them in an emergency situation. According to Jim Harris, owner of Harris Technical Services, a firm that accesses and analyzes EDR data, the information can quickly change hands in certain situations. “If a car is in a crash and deemed a total loss by an
Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/17/big-brother-congress-cars-black-boxes-privacy/
Nearly half of Facebook users will never click ads
May 18th
The effectiveness of Facebook’s advertising was called into question earlier this week when General Motors confirmed that it would be pulling the $10 million the company spends annually on Facebook ads because they are not delivering results. Now, just one day before Facebook’s initial public offering, a study conducted by marketing agency Greenlight suggests that nearly half of all Facebook users will never click on a sponsored post or display ad.
According to VentureBeat, the study found that 44% of respondents said they would never click on a Facebook ad while 3% said they regularly click ads on Facebook’s site and 10% said they do so often. And of course, when it comes to Facebook, a survey isn’t a survey unless it mentions privacy — 30% of the 500 people polled by Greenlight said they strongly distrust Facebook with their personal data.
“With over 30% of respondents saying they ‘strongly distrust’ Facebook with their personal data, Facebook’s advertising program has an upward struggle,” Greenlight director Hannah Kimuyusaid. “Facebook’s advertising program allows brands to connect with more than 800 million potential customers, through targeting their age, gender, location, and interests, in other words – personal data.”
Kimuyu did note, however, that those respondents who did click ads on Facebook found them to be “effective and engaging.”
Zach Epstein
Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/17/facebook-ads-study-survey-clicks/
HTC to beat Apple patent predicament with custom Android builds
May 18th
HTC is in a tough spot as two of its new flagship smartphones — smartphones it desperately needs to make available in the United States as it attempts to mount a comeback — are currently held up in Customs due to a patent spat with Apple. The Taiwan-based vendor issued a statement earlier this week claiming that its devices comply with an order issued by the International Trade Commission, thus suggesting the ITC will release the shipments soon. According to a report from The Verge, this is indeed the case and HTC used custom Android builds to dodge the Apple patents in question. The report claims HTC circumvented the use of Apple’s protected ”data tapping” functionality by implementing a new settings menu that allows the user to adjust default app associations. HTC and Sprint will still miss the scheduled launch of the EVO 4G LTE but if the report is accurate, HTC’s new flagship phones should clear Customs soon.
Zach Epstein
Galaxy S III preorders approach 10 million
May 18th
Samsung said earlier this year that is hoped to sell 10 million units of its smartphone-tablet hybrid, the Galaxy Note, in 2012. End-user sales reached 5 million units in March, putting Samsung well on its way to achieving the lofty goal. If 10 million is a magic number for Samsung, the company is undoubtedly pleased with pre-sales performance of its next-generation flagship smartphone, which may reach 10 million units before the smartphone even hits store shelves. South Korea-based newspaper Korea Economic Daily on Friday cited an unnamed Samsung official in reporting that carrier preorders of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S III have already hit 9 million units. Reuters, which relayed the report, notes that Samsung’s South Korean factory is currently building the Galaxy S III at full capacity of 5 million units per month, according to the paper. Samsung’s Galaxy S III will launch in Germany on May 29th before rolling out in other markets around the world. The flagship smartphone is expected to begin launching on carriers in the United States this summer.
Zach Epstein
http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/18/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-preorders-9-million/Apple’s next iPhone may feature one of Steve Jobs’s last designs
May 18th
Apple’s sixth-generation iPhone may be one of the last products unveiled by the Cupertino, California-based technology giant that was designed by Steve Jobs. The company’s late co-founder and chief executive worked very closely on the retooled iPhone before his untimely passing last October, Bloomberg reports. The news organization also reiterates earlier claims that the next-generation iPhone will feature a larger display than the 3.5-inch panel utilized by its predecessors. BGR exclusively reported last year that Apple plans to launch a completely redesigned iPhone this fall that features a new antenna system and a new case, likely comprised of glass and aluminum. Apple’s sixth iPhone is also expected to include a larger 4-inch display and 4G LTE connectivity.
Zach Epstein
Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/18/apple-iphone-5-design-steve-jobs/
Windows Phone overtakes iPhone in world’s largest smartphone market
May 18th
Analysts repeatedly harp on how important China is for Apple’s iPhone. The Cupertino, California-based consumer electronics giant’s iPhone 4S launched in China earlier this year but despite reports of continuing negotiations, China Mobile — the world’s largest telecom carrier — still does not offer Apple’s iPhone to its massive subscriber base. But as Apple continues its efforts to make headway in the world’s largest smartphone market, an underdog has reportedly taken an early lead.
According to Michel van der Bel, chief operating office at Microsoft for the Greater China region, Microsoft’s Windows Phone market share now sits at 7% in China. At last count, Apple’s share of the smartphone market in China was 6%, Emerce reports.
“We have only just begun,” van der Bel said. He continued, noting that the combination of Windows Phones and Windows 8 tablets will help Microsoft succeed in the Chinese market. “Our smartphone and tablet-pc are hybrid, making them suitable for the consumer, but also easy to insert within an existing company infrastructure. This will allow us to better anticipate the consumerization of IT than many competitors.”
The first Windows Phone-powered smartphone for the Chinese market launched less than two months ago.
[Via WMPoweruser]
Zach Epstein
Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/18/windows-phone-market-share-china-apple-iphone/
Being open could close the door on Android
May 18th
While I may recommend the iPhone to the majority of people who ask, Android is still my mobile operating system of choice. Google has created a truly amazing and innovative platform, and because it is open-source anyone can tweak it and customize it. Even devices that weren’t meant for Android, such as my HP TouchPad, can run the mobile OS beautifully thanks to dedicated third-party developers. As I spend more and more time with an iPhone, however, I realize that my love for open-source is slowly beginning to fade. While I used to believe open-source would play a huge role in pushing Android ahead of the competition, which it did, I now believe it may end up being the thing that kills it.
With the release of Ice Cream Sandwich, Google revamped Android, making it prettier and more user-friendly. If you were to ask me what the best Android smartphone is, I would confidently state “the Galaxy Nexus.” While the handset has its flaws — for example, the camera is dreadful compared to the iPhone 4S and HTC One X — it is one of the very few smartphones that runs an unskinned version of Android, not to mention the latest version of Google’s Android software. Skins are the reason 90% of Android devices aren’t running Ice Cream Sandwich.
I understand that vendors need to distinguish their devices from the competition, but forcing customers to use a clunky, battery-wasting skin is not the answer. I wouldn’t be so against Android skins if the manufacturers allowed the average user to remove them completely, and I mean without the need to root a device. I
Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/18/android-open-source-close-door-criticism/
Microsoft Kinect transformed into surgical assistant
May 18th
Microsoft’s Kinect motion and voice-based controller accessory was launched with gaming in mind, but researchers have taken the technology in a number of different directions. German researchers transformed the Kinect into an interactive augmented reality X-ray machine, and Microsoft Research is now in the process of trialing the use of its Kinect sensor as a surgical assistant.
On May 8th, a surgeon at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ hospital in London used a custom Kinect installation to browse through medical images and real-time X-rays while repairing an aneurism in a patient’s aorta, NewScientist reports. The system created by Microsoft Research allows surgeons to call up images or perform a number of other tasks without assistance and without having to touch anything, thus avoiding any potential contamination.
“Up until now, I’d been calling out across the room to one of our technical assistants, asking them to manipulate the image, rotate one way, rotate the other, pan up, pan down, zoom in, zoom out,” says Tom Carrell, a consultant vascular surgeon at Guy’s and St Thomas’. With the Kinect, the surgeon says he had “very intuitive control.”
Carrell is eager to continue trials with the system. ”I thought this was going to be a lot more awkward to start off with, but I was very pleased with the way it went today.”
Zach Epstein
Article source: http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/18/microsoft-kinect-surgery-surgical-assistant-testing/