Dell profit falls

Dell profit falls 47 percent hurt by slow tech spending

 November 16, 2012

Dell Inc's third-quarter profit slid 47 percent, hurt by lower PC sales, weaker demand from large corporations and the shift to mobile computing.Dell's consumer PC business is struggling as more and more consumers are using smartphones and tablets to do basic computing, and the company's corporate customers continue to defer spending due to the uncertain state of the economy.
The No. 3 personal computer maker warned that it "sees the challenging global macroeconomic environment continuing in the fourth quarter."
The company, once the world's top PC maker and a pioneer in computer supply chain management, is struggling to defend its market share against Asian rivals like Lenovo. It is trying to bolster growth by focusing on products and services to corporations.
The company said it expects revenue to grow as much as 5 percent in the current quarter.
"Our outlook for the quarter would be generally consistent with what we typically see in terms of a seasonal pickup," it said.
Dell said revenue in its fiscal third quarter fell 11 percent to $13.7 billion, slightly lower than the average analyst estimate of $13.89 billion according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
It posted net income of $475 million or 27 cents a share in the quarter, compared with $893 million or 49 cents a year earlier. Excluding certain items, it earned 39 cents a share, compared to an average forecast for 40 cents.
Chief Financial Officer Brian Gladden said in an interview that corporate customers continue to defer technology spending.
"It's not clear what's going to cause them to increase their spending in the short term, given the uncertainty in the economy," he said.
Dell's enterprise solutions revenue rose 3 percent to $4.8 billion, while server and networking revenue climbed 11 percent. In contrast, consumer revenue plummeted 23 percent to $2.5 billion, underscoring the plight of the broader PC market, and sales to large corporation declined 8 percent to $4.2 billion in the quarter.
Dell's "challenges are frankly the same as before - namely the tough macroeconomic environment and cannibalization from mobile devices using mobile operating systems from Apple and Google," Shaw Wu, analyst with Sterne Agee, said.
The consumer market is improving with the launch of the Windows 8 software from Microsoft, which has been designed with touchscreen devices and Internet-based computing in mind, Gladden said.
But sales of devices featuring the Windows 8 software have yet to ramp up while Microsoft is already in the market with its new Surface tablet computer, which may hurt PC sales.
Planning for "fiscal cliff" 
Apart from the consumer, Dell's business customers have held back spending, which could be partly attributed to the looming fiscal cliff, Gladden said.
The fiscal cliff involves $600 billion in automatic tax hikes and spending cuts effective in early 2013 if U.S. lawmakers fail to agree on reducing the budget deficit.
The cuts could take a toll on consumer and government spending and cause the economy to stall.
"I would tell you that the behavior we are seeing from our customers today is actually driven by that uncertainty," Gladden said. "It's not like it's all going to happen overnight. It's affecting our business today."
Dell is ensuring that it has access to cash in case there is no congressional action.
"I would say there are several things we are doing from a planning standpoint, especially on the treasury side to ensure that we are in a position to have appropriate access to liquidity," Gladden said, adding that Dell is making sure it has access to lines of credit and commercial paper.
Dell shares fell 2.3 percent to $9.36 in after-market trade from its close of $9.56. The shares initially rose following the release of the results.

Adobe unveils new technology

Adobe unveils new technology to insert video ads

Associated Press, November 16, 2012

Adobe Systems Inc. has added new tools to insert advertisements into online video content.The new tools are part of Project Primetime, Adobe's service for distributing video on computers, smartphones and other Internet-connected devices. A new ad-insertion tool called MediaWeaver "mirrors broadcast TV" in the way it inserts ads into programming, Adobe said Thursday.
For broadcasters and other content providers, that's an improvement from the way a lot of online ads work now - concentrated at the start of the programming, or repeated over and over. MediaWeaver can get the latest ads inserted into video, whether it's live, recorded or played back on demand.
Adobe said the service lets content providers target and track their audience, too, depending on what information they already have on them.
Another offering, called Primetime Media Player, helps content providers offer a "more robust viewing experience on desktops and mobile devices within apps," the company said in a blog post. To do this, it lets devices load videos faster, offers closed-captioning and works with Adobe's SiteCatalyst advertising and marketing analytics service to analyze customers' viewing habits.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD

Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch ships early

Agence France Press, November 16, 2012

Amazon on Thursday began shipping a large-screen, high-definition version of its popular Kindle Fire tablet computers ahead of schedule in a holiday season challenge to Apple iPads.Kindle Fire HD tablets ordered online were on their way to buyers and more would be available at US consumer electronics shops beginning Friday, according to Amazon.
"Kindle Fire HD has been Amazon's best-selling product worldwide since launch, and that was before we even started shipping the best tablet we've ever built," said Kindle vice president Dave Limp.
"We think customers are going to love web browsing, email, gaming, watching TV shows, reading magazines, and more on the large, stunning HD screen, with fast Wi-Fi and exceptional audio."
Amazon in September unveiled the new Kindle Fire HD priced at $299 in what analysts saw as a clear challenge to the market-leading iPad.
The new Kindle Fire HD has an 8.9-inch (22.6-centimeter) display and was described by Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos as "the best high-end tablet anywhere, at any price" when combined with Amazon content and services.
The tablet is only 0.3 inches thick, and weighs 20 ounces (567 grams). The Kindle Fire HD has dual-band Wi-Fi and two antennas.
A seven-inch Kindle Fire HD priced at $199 became available in September.
In an even more direct challenge to the iPad, a 4G version of the larger Kindle Fire HD will sell at $499 - the same price as a basic iPad.
Amazon said that 4G Kindle Fire HD tablets will begin shipping next week.
Offering the Kindle Fire outside the US for the first time, all except the new bigger-screen version went on sale in Europe in October.
Apple early this month released a smaller version of its iPad to take on Amazon and Android tablets having success in that segment of the market.

BlackBerry 10 AppWorld

RIM to spice BlackBerry 10 AppWorld with local flavors

 November 16, 2012

Research In Motion is pushing for app quality, not quantity, with its make-or-break BlackBerry 10 devices set for launch on January 30, and targeting applications to customers in various regions.RIM's projected 100,000 apps - a record for any new platform at launch - will still be a fraction of those available on Apple Inc or Google Inc devices.
But it is a stronger showing than RIM's PlayBook tablet computer which was slammed at its 2011 launch for a dearth of apps and incomplete software.
In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, RIM Chief Executive Thorsten Heins admitted that app libraries play a crucial role in the success or failure of smartphones. But he said the game is not just about numbers.
"The tactic we are deploying is by country and by region. We are aiming to have the most important 200 to 400 apps available, because many applications are regional and they really do have a regional flavor," Heins said.
RIM says it aims to offer both the most popular applications in the market, and also those most relevant to Blackberry aficionados - people Heins described as hyper-connected multi-taskers who need to get things done.
RIM's ultra-secure BlackBerry was once the smartphone of choice for government and corporate elites. But rivals have taken giant bites out of RIM's market share, especially in North America, and the company's stock has slumped. The BlackBerry remains popular in many emerging markets, partly for its popular BBM messaging system.
With this in mind, RIM has hosted events with developers across the globe.
"We've done 30 jam conferences in various cities all around the world, to get the bucket filled with meaningful local apps and not just a huge bunch of applications that you collect and throw at your audience," he said. "It is a very, very targeted approach."
Heins, who has met with customers and carriers in a series of whirlwind global tours, came across as relaxed and confident in the interview, in RIM's Waterloo headquarters.
Speaking rapid fire English with just a hint of an accent from his native Germany, he acknowledged that RIM's fate may depend on the success of BB10, but he said feedback from clients has been very encouraging.
RIM hopes its new line of BB10 smartphones will help it claw back market share from Apple's iPhone and devices powered by Google's Android operating system. Developers say like what they see, but analysts are not convinced that RIM's gamble on BB10 will succeed.
Big name draws 
In terms of numbers, RIM's app offering will remain far behind the Apple and Google app stores, each of which boast over 700,000 apps. But Heins said he was not worried.
"In my view it is really short-sighted to say, you have 600,000, you have 400,000 and you only have 100,000 apps, so you are not good," he said.
"Look at how many actually get downloaded. ... BlackBerry App World today is still the most profitable portal for application developers - it has the highest number of paid for downloads."
In a small dig at his rivals, he added: "We don't have 1,500 Solitaire apps. That is not what Blackberry is about."
RIM has already said it plans business focused apps from the likes of Cisco WebEx, Box, SAP and Blackboard, as well as music and movie apps like TuneIn, Nobex and Popcornflix and gaming apps from developers like Gameloft, Halfbrick and Paw Print Games.
Heins has said social networks such as LinkedIn, Foursquare, Twitter and Facebook will all have apps for BB10 at launch. But he declined to name any of the other big name apps that RIM will have on board come launch day.
"Allow me to talk to you about this on January 30, otherwise I'm losing a lot of thunder," he said.

Google Nexus 10 review

Associated Press, November 15, 2012

When I first turned on Google's new tablet computer, I immediately thought of it as a mere conduit to Google services.Besides giving you quick access to Gmail and YouTube, the Nexus 10 steers you to digital movies, books and other content available for sale through Google's online Play store.
Because of that, I wasn't thinking of the Nexus 10 as an alternative to Apple's general-purpose iPad - even with a price tag that's $100 cheaper, starting at $399. It took more thought and time with the Nexus to change that perception. After all, apps available for Android smartphones work on the tablet as well.
Still, the Nexus really shines when it comes to media - especially content bought through Google.
For the past year, Google has been trying to challenge Apple and Amazon by selling digital content.
The Play store is Google's version of iTunes for Apple devices. There, you can get a variety of apps, some free and some for a small fee. You can buy or rent movies and obtain books, magazines and music. Google isn't satisfied with building search engines and selling ads. It wants a bigger role in the digital economy.
Over the summer, Google came out with a 7-inch tablet called the Nexus 7. Just as Apple is making an iPad Mini that's about the size of the Nexus 7, Google is now selling a larger version of the Nexus, about the size of Apple's regular iPad. It starts shipping this week.
On the Nexus 10, icons at the bottom of the screen emphasize Google's media products available through Play. Click on a picture of film to watch movies, headphones to listen to music and a book to, well, read books. Another icon gets you to the Play store to obtain more content and apps.
The Nexus has a rubberized back and fits more snuggly on my lap than the metal-backed iPad. In my hands, I don't feel as if the Nexus would slip out and crash on to the hard floor, as I continually do with the iPad.
There are front-facing speakers going up and down both sides of the Nexus, compared with just one tucked in a corner on the back of an iPad. You feel more immersed watching video with sound coming right at you from the entire device. I hadn't considered that a problem on the iPad, but I began to notice it once I played video on the tablets side by side.
The screen measures 10.1 inches diagonally, which is more than the iPad's 9.7 inches. But the screen isn't any larger because while it's about an inch wider in horizontal mode, it's also about a half-inch less in height. This works well for widescreen content, which completely fills the screen. On the iPad, the latest movies and TV shows often have black bars, no matter how you hold the tablet. In some cases, you might see the sides of video cut off to fit the space, as I did watching this week's episode of "Revenge" on Hulu. Again, I hadn't considered that a problem on the iPad, until I began to notice it.
What makes the tablet's shape good for movies makes it less-than-ideal for magazines, though. There's wasted space on the top and the bottom for magazines on the Nexus. But I watch TV shows and movies online more often than I read magazines digitally, so I'll let it slide.
As for books, text on the Nexus' screen comes out sharp. News sites and apps also look nice. The Nexus has a screen resolution of 300 pixels per inches, slightly better than the 264 ppi for the latest full-size iPad (which itself is far better than the 132 ppi on the older iPad 2 model still available).
True, there are other tablets designed as media players, too. Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire and Barnes and Noble Inc.'s Nook HD come to mind, and both have larger versions out this month. But neither has the diversity of apps available for the Nexus and other full-fledge Android devices (The Kindle and the Nook run on modified versions of Android and restrict apps to what's available through their own online stores).
So what does that mean?
Apps on my Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone automatically appear on the Nexus 10 after signing in with the same Google account. I'll note that the Nexus 10 is also made by Samsung Electronics Co., even though it's branded Google.
Three of my apps, for AccuWeather, Citibank and Dunkin' Donuts, aren't compatible for unknown reasons. But those I use most often - Facebook, Instagram, Foursquare and a slew of other weather apps - all work on the Nexus. The companion app for the TV show "Dexter" also works, allowing me to play trivia games and watch video clips.
Not all apps have been specifically adapted for the tablet's larger screen, but they take advantage of the entire screen, nonetheless, thanks to the way Android lets software programmers build their apps in modules. All the content gets blown up and still looks decent.
Apple's store has a far wider selection of apps, though, including a half-dozen apps for exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. A search on Play comes up with only one.
The Nexus comes with the latest version of the Android operating system, version 4.2. It introduces a new feature for sharing tablets, the way family members can share Windows and Mac computers while keeping personalized settings. You no longer have to fight with a kid who constantly changes the volume or moves apps around. Now, just sign in as separate users.
The Nexus is a tad lighter, while the iPad promises longer battery life and has an option for cellular broadband for $130 more, plus the cost of data plans. Neither has a slot to expand memory with SD cards. Both have two cameras - 5 megapixels on the back for taking photos and video, and a lower-resolution one on the front for videoconferencing.
The iPad remains king among tablets, with its ease of use, variety of apps and dominance in the market. But challengers such as Google offer choice. The Nexus 10 is a good choice if you already have an Android phone and use a lot of Google services. That's especially true if you also watch a lot of movies and TV shows, but don't want to be limited to that.

2G spectrum auction flops

2G spectrum auction flops; less than Rs, 10K crore bids received

Press Trust of India, November 15, 2012

The much-talked about 2G mobile phone spectrum auction on Wednesday virtually flopped with just Rs 9,407 crore being garnered in the process contrary to the high valuation estimated by the CAG in its damning report of the government two years ago.The auction, which lasted just two days, got total bids worth Rs. 9,407.64 crore, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters at the end of the bidding, which was a far cry from the 35-day bidding for the 3G spectrum in 2010 that got Rs. 67,719 crore.
The government was targetting a minimum of Rs 28,000 crore from the sale of 2G spectrum in the GSM band and the tepid response may upset its efforts to meet the revised fiscal deficit target of 5.3 per cent of GDP. Overall, the government had budget Rs 40,000 crore as revenue from spectrum sale this fiscal.
Sibal refused to comment on the CAG's estimation of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore as the loss to the exchequer in giving away spectrum on first-come-first-serve basis in 2008.
In an apparent dig at the CAG, he merely said, "the facts are before the nation and quite clear."
Going by the 3G auction price, the current sale should have fetched Rs. 1 lakh crore but "what we have got is Rs. 9,407 crore... so this is a market and that is how it plays itself out."
None of the five companies bidding for the spectrum made any offer for pan-India airwaves for which the reserve price was set at Rs. 14,000 crore, a rate considered high by the industry.
Sibal said in all 101 out of the 144 blocks of spectrum on offer got bids.
Metro cities of Delhi and Mumbai, which accounted for 40 percent of the base price of Rs. 14,000 crore for 5MHz of 2G spectrum, drew no bids.
Olympus said Monday it had swung back into the black in the first half of its fiscal year, reporting a $100 million net profit on the sale of subsidiaries unrelated to its core business, while the key medical systems unit posted an operating profit.
Sony and its domestic rivals are all struggling due to the strong yen and falling prices of television and other products amid stiff competition from South Korean, Chinese and other makers.
Moody's last week downgraded Sony's credit rating for the second time in a month, the latest blow to Japan's electronics sector where embattled Sharp has seen its own credit rating slashed to junk.
The global ratings agency chopped Sony by one notch to Baa3 with a negative outlook, just above junk grade.

Microsoft sued

Microsoft sued over Surface tablet's storage capacity

Associated Press, November 15, 2012

 A California lawyer is suing Microsoft Corp., claiming the Surface tablet he bought doesn't have all the storage space the company advertised.Andrew Sokolowski, a lawyer in Los Angeles, claims that he bought a Surface with 32 gigabytes of storage last week. But he quickly ran out of space after loading it with music and Microsoft Word documents.
He discovered that a significant portion of the 32 GB storage space was being used by the operating system and pre-installed apps such as Word and Excel. Only 16 GB was available for him to use.
Sokolowski's lawyers filed the suit alleging false advertising and unfair business practices on Tuesday at the Superior Court in Los Angeles. They are seeking class action status.
The suit aims to change how Microsoft advertises its device and hopes to force the company to give back revenue and profits that resulted from its alleged wrongful conduct.
Microsoft said in a statement that it believes the suit is without merit.
"Customers understand the operating system and pre-installed applications reside on the device's internal storage thereby reducing the total free space," the company said. It noted that people can add storage via the microSD slot and USB port.
Microsoft confirmed on Nov. 5 exactly how much usable storage space its Surface tablets come with out of the box. It says on its website that the 32 GB Surface has 16 GB of free space while the 64 GB version has 45 GB free. The Surface started selling Oct. 26 and Sokolowski bought his device on Nov. 7.
Sokolowski's lawyer, Rhett Francisco, said Wednesday that his client never saw Microsoft's responses and said the details on its website are "buried."
"They make you search and dig for it specifically, or you would never find it," he said.
It's common for mobile devices to have less usable storage space than advertised.
Flash drives and regular hard drives provide less usable memory than their labels say, mainly because there are two definitions of the word "gigabyte." That means that, right off the bat, consumers get about 7 percent less space than advertised. A 16 GB drive, for example, has about 15 GB available for use.
On flash drives, the kind used in tablets, another factor reduces the available storage further. A portion of the memory space is set aside to replace "cells" that wear out over time. For this reason, Apple's 16 GB iPad has an actual storage capacity that's 11 percent lower than the one advertised: 14.3 GB. The 64 GB model stores 57.2 GB.
On the iPad, all the storage space after the 11 percent "discount" is available for the user's photos, movies and apps. The operating system and Apple's pre-installed apps have their own, separate memory space. Microsoft's operating system and apps, in contrast, share memory space with the user.
Michael Gartenberg, research director for technology research firm Gartner Inc., said Microsoft has consistently said there would be less memory available than is advertised. He said it is "unsurprising" that its new operating system and near full-blown version of Office take up a big chunk of the memory.
"I think they made it pretty clear to consumers what they're getting," he said.
And even if Microsoft's base-model Surface only has 16 GB of memory available, that's still slightly more than the 14.3 GB you'll get from the latest Wi-Fi only iPad for the same price of $499

Nokia with Microsoft

Nokia sees no change in relationship with Microsoft

Reuters, November 15, 2012

Nokia's chief executive said there would be no change in the relationship with its software partner Microsoft, despite the software giant's entry into tablets and partnerships with rival phone makers.Stephen Elop said Nokia retained a "special" relationship with Microsoft, even though others such as HTC have also launched phones with Windows Phone software.
"They're not sitting in the priority meetings that we're sitting in," he said at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecoms conference in Barcelona on Wednesday.
Analysts have said Microsoft could one day become a rival to Nokia if it launches its own smartphones, while there is also speculation that the U.S. company could one day acquire the Finnish phone manufacturer.

Adobe

Adobe confirms user forum breached, will reset 150,000 passwords

Reuters, November 15, 2012

Adobe Systems Inc shut down a website where customers share information about using its Connect online conferencing service after the software maker discovered it had been compromised in a data breach.The company, whose software is frequently targeted by computer hackers because it is widely used to publish digital documents, said on Wednesday that it would reset passwords of the approximately 150,000 members of the site, Connectusers.com.
Adobe said its Connect web conferencing service and other company sites were not breached.
News of the breach surfaced on Tuesday when a hacker claimed in a posting on the Internet to have stolen log-in credentials of 150,000 Adobe customers and partners.
The hacker, who claimed to be from Egypt, released 644 records from the site, including emails, saying the release was done to point out that Adobe is slow in fixing security problems.
The hacker also promised to release data stolen from Yahoo Inc . A Yahoo spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.
The Adobe breach was discovered a week after Russian security firm Group-IB said it had uncovered a flaw in Adobe's Reader software that criminals are currently exploiting to attack PCs by infecting them with malicious PDF documents.
Adobe spokeswoman Wiebke Lips said the company is still reviewing that report, though it has not yet received samples of malicious code discovered by Group-IB.

Facebook stock up

Facebook stock up 12.6 percent as share lockup expires

Reuters, November 15, 2012

Shares of Facebook Inc jumped nearly 13 percent on Wednesday, as investors breathed a sigh of relief that expiring trading restrictions on a huge block of shares failed to trigger an immediate wave of insider selling."While the lockup is expiring, there is nothing requiring anybody to sell," said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer at Solaris Group in Bedford Hills, New York. "Given the low price, these long-term holders are deciding to hold the stock, and that is lifting it here as the fear of the expiration subsides."
Roughly 800 million Facebook shares were eligible for sale on Wednesday after restrictions on insider selling were lifted on the biggest block since Facebook's May initial public offering.
The lockup expiration greatly expands the 921-million-share "float" available for trading on the market until now.
"We've seen this before with other lockups. People sell them leading up to the lockup period expiring, and then they have a bit of a relief rally," said Ryan Jacob, chief executive of the Jacob Funds, which does not own Facebook shares.
In August, shares of the online reviews website Yelp Inc surged by more than 20 percent on the day that insider trading restrictions expired. That stock's rally was boosted as short-sellers scrambled to cover their positions when the expected flood of selling failed to materialize, say analysts.
Facebook shares finished Wednesday's regular trading session up 12.6 percent at $22.36 on the Nasdaq, with trading volume for the stock more than four times the average during the past 50 days.
The world's No. 1 online social network became the only U.S. company to debut with a market value of more than $100 billion. But its value has dropped nearly 50 percent since the IPO on concerns about money-making prospects over the long term.
Insider trading lockup provisions started to expire in August, and the rolling expirations have added to the pressure on the stock.
Restrictions on insider selling have expired in waves. A limitation on more than 200 million shares expired on October 29.
Cost of shorting 
Pivotal Research Group analyst Brian Wieser said he did not expect Facebook insiders to sell all of their shares as the lockups expired.
"I would expect heavy volumes over the next few weeks, but not undigestible volumes," said Wieser. By his estimate, roughly 486 million of the nearly 800 million newly freed Facebook shares will be sold.
There is some evidence the heavy interest in "shorting" the stock was dissipating, given the poor performance since it first sold shares in May. Investors who believe a stock will fall can bet against it by shorting the stock - that is, borrowing it and selling it in the hopes it will decline.
According to Markit, a financial information services company, about 28 percent of the shares available for short-selling were being borrowed for that purpose, down from a high of more than 80 percent in early August.
Similarly, SunGard's Astec Analytics, which also tracks interest in shorting, noted that the cost of borrowing Facebook shares is down more than 50 percent since the beginning of the month.
"Everything would seem to indicate the market is losing its appetite to short Facebook," wrote Karl Loomes, market analyst at Astec.
The cost of shorting Facebook has declined to 0.18 percent on an annualized basis, Astec said on Wednesday. By contrast, shortly after the IPO, the cost to short the stock ranged from 40 percent to 50 percent annually.
"It's become somewhat of a controversial stock. It always adds fuel to the fire if you have a sizable short position," said Stephen Massocca, managing director at Wedbush Morgan in San Francisco.
"But the unlock is not new news. It doesn't mean everyone is going to sell, and it doesn't mean every order is going to come in today."
Facebook, with roughly 1 billion users, has faced a tough reception on Wall Street amid concerns about its slowing revenue growth and nascent advertising efforts on mobile devices.
But the company delivered better-than-expected third-quarter results on October 23 and revealed that 14 percent of its advertising revenue is now from mobile ads, reassuring some investors it was beginning to figure out how to earn money from smartphone and tablet users.
"They had a pretty good quarter. I think a lot of investors, though, are waiting to see some consistency in the results," said Jacob.
Several members of Facebook's senior management have sold millions of dollars' worth of shares in recent weeks through pre-arranged stock trading plans as lockup restrictions expired.
Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg has sold roughly 530,000 shares this month, netting just over $11 million, though she still owns roughly 20 million vested shares in Facebook.
In August, Facebook board member Peter Thiel sold roughly $400 million worth of Facebook stock, the majority of his stake, when an earlier phase of lockup restrictions expired.
Facebook's 28-year-old chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, has pledged not to sell any shares before September 2013.
"I'm sure we're seeing some selling from guys whose shares are unlocking, but the supply is not nearly as much as everybody expected," said Arvind Bhatia, an analyst with Sterne, Agee & Leach.

Google offers free Internet

Google offers free Internet to South African mobile users

Agence France Press, November 15, 2012

Google said on Wednesday it has entered into a deal with South Africa's giant telecoms operator Telkom to offer free Internet access to mobile phone subscribers that cannot afford data costs.Under the deal dubbed "Free Zone," subscribers to Telkom's 8ta mobile phone service can access the web and versions of Gmail and Google+ without paying for data charges, as long as they have data-enabled handsets.
"Around 80 percent of South Africans have a cell phone, and much of this mobile resource is untapped due to data charges that many cannot afford," Google South Africa manager Luke Mckend told AFP.
Many mobile phone users find data charges for email, web browsing and social applications, to be too expensive.
"Our goal is to make more of the mobile web affordable for everyone, in order to enrich their lives with information at their fingertips," said Mckend.
Google launched a similar deal with a mobile phone provider in the Philippines earlier this month.
Amith Maharaj, senior managing executive at 8ta, said the idea is to help South Africa, the wealthiest country on the continent, keep pace with the rest of the developed world.
"Breaking down the barriers to Internet adoption is critical for South Africa to keep up with the rest of the world in terms of socio-economic development," he said, citing World Bank studies that a 10 percent rise in Internet use could result in one percent increase in GDP.
"Now 8ta subscribers can enjoy a free value added service to explore the Internet, check emails and connect with friends, ultimately boosting internet adoption in South Africa."
The deal is on trial until the end of May next year.
8ta is the mobile phone brand for the Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed Telkom, South Africa's largest fixed line phone company but struggling parastatal.

BlackBerry 10

BlackBerry 10 will fuel RIM's growth for the next decade: CEO

Reuters, November 15, 2012

A new line of BlackBerry 10 devices will provide Research In Motion with a framework for growth over the next decade, offering long-term value for unhappy shareholders, Chief Executive Thorsten Heins said on Wednesday.In an interview with Reuters, Heins said RIM had identified $800 million of the $1 billion of savings it promised for the financial year ending in early March, and was confident of finding the rest as it gets ready to launch the new phones.
RIM is betting that the new smartphones will help it claw back the market share it has lost to the likes of Apple Inc's iPhone and devices powered by Google's Android operating system.
Both consumers and corporate customers have abandoned the BlackBerry in droves, even though the devices offer security features that rivals have been unable to match.
"There's this high-level security that you cannot walk away from, and then there's 'good enough' security," Heins said in an interview at RIM's Waterloo, Ontario, campus, a sprawl of low-rise buildings.
But analysts remain skeptical, especially after the botched 2011 launch of RIM's PlayBook tablet computer, which the company had hoped would compete with Apple's wildly popular iPad. The PlayBook had top-of-the-line hardware, but its software was far from complete at the launch and needed multiple updates.
RIM delayed the roll-out of the BlackBerry 10 phones to the first quarter of 2013 so as not to repeat the errors that surrounded the PlayBook launch.
Heins said the delay was the correct decision - the way to ensure the BB10 phones are a high-quality product rather than a rushed one that would not meet customer expectations.
"I think it's all lining up. Sometimes you get the feeling that the universe is in disarray, and with BlackBerry 10 coming, I see the stars lining up," Heins said.
Sleek demo models 
Sleek demo models of the new phones look much like the high-end smartphones in the market today, and company executives proudly showed off a touch-screen version and a version with the miniature QWERTY keyboard popular with many BlackBerry users.
Users flick a thumb or finger to maneuver from one program to another and can sneak a look at an incoming email while browsing the Internet or using other applications, a multi-tasking ability that RIM says rival devices lack.
Personal and business profiles can be kept separately, something RIM calls BlackBerry Balance. Corporations can erase only their share of the data on a device if they need to do so for security reasons, leaving personal photos, contacts and emails untouched.
The app library available at launch will not match the vast number available on other devices. Heins said RIM had chosen to focus on providing those apps needed in different regional markets. It expects some 100,000 apps to be ready at launch.
The developer community has been broadly enthusiastic about the devices. But financial analysts have mixed views on their likely reception in an ultra-competitive market.
Pacific Crest analyst James Faucette warned last week that BlackBerry 10 is likely to be dead on arrival - with an operating system that gets "a lukewarm response at best," due to the unfamiliar user interface and a shortage of apps.
Shareholder value 
Heins insisted morale was high at the company, despite 5,000 job cuts and a rapidly sliding market share ahead of the launch of the new phones.
RIM's share price is down more than 90 percent from a 2008 peak of about $148. It has fallen even after Heins, a former Siemens AG executive, took over in January. The shares on Wednesday closed at $8.49 on Nasdaq.
"The message to our shareholders is that we understand this is and has been a difficult time for them and for us," the tall, bespectacled CEO said. "But with the development of the BlackBerry 10 platform we are truly convinced that we will create long-term value for RIM's shareholders and investors."
RIM has already given the demo phones to developers and to carriers, and its new BlackBerry Enterprise Server 10, which runs the devices on corporate networks, is in beta testing with 20 key customers -- both government agencies and corporates.
Next month, the company will give more than 50 top enterprise customers technical previews of both BES 10 and the devices.
Heins said the feedback he is getting from the customer base "is very encouraging."
With the erosion of RIM's base particularly strong in North America, there has been speculation the company could choose to launch the new phones in a region where the phones remain popular. Heins said that would not be the case.
"We cannot launch every carrier and every country on the same day, but what we have defined is a set of waves in the various regions," he said. "It is going to be a global launch. There isn't one preferred region. We are managing and planning it as we speak."

41-megapixel Nokia 808

41-megapixel Nokia 808 PureView now available for Rs. 25,000

NDTV Correspondent, November 12, 2012

Nokia 808 PureView, the phone best known for its 41-megapixel camera is now available from online retailer Flipkart for Rs. 25,000 only. That's a significant price cut from its launch price of Rs. 33,899. Interestingly, as of filing this report, the official Nokia online store continues to sell it for the earlier list price.

Aside from the camera that has won rave reviews, the Nokia 808 PureView features a 4-inch 640x360 display, a 1.3 GHz single-core processor, 512 MB of RAM and 16GB of on-board memory that is expandable using a microSD card. Unfortunately, the phone runs on the dated Nokia Belle (Symbian OS 10.1) platform. While it was difficult to recommend the Nokia 808 PureView at its earlier price, at Rs. 25,000 it is definitely worth another look, especially for photography enthusiasts.

Nokia's PureView technology will also be seen in the forthcoming Lumia 920. The PureView technique involves taking a full image and oversampling it to the effective resolution you've selected. Oversampling an image means combining adjacent pixels into one. The more pixels you combine, the more accurately the resultant pixel represents real-world information. With PureView, Nokia seems to have perfected this technology, as we found out in our Nokia 808 PureView review.


Nokia 808 PureView

Nokia 808 PureView Technical Specifications

• 4-inch AMOLED Capacitive Touchscreen
• 1.3 GHz ARM 11 Processor
• 512MB RAM
• 16GB internal storage
• Expandable Storage Capacity of 32 GB
• 41 MP Primary Camera, 0.3 MP Secondary Camera
• Symbian Belle OS 10.1

Aakash 2 tablet Rs. 1,130

President Pranab Mukherjee unveils Rs. 1,130 Aakash 2 tablet

Press Trust of India, November 12, 2012

The second version of low cost tablet Aakash was launched in Delhi on Sunday by President Pranab Mukherjee.

Coming at a price tag of Rs. 1,130 for students, the new version 'Aakash 2', which will be made available to students of engineering colleges and universities to begin with, is now powered by a processor running at 1GHz, has a 512 MB, a 7-inch capacitative touch screen and a battery working for three hours of normal operations.

It has been developed under the aegis of IIT Bombay with the active support of C-DAC. Datawind is rolling out the device.

"The price is Rs. 2,263 at which the government purchases the device from us. The government subsidises it by 50 percent and it will be distributed to students at Rs.  1,130," said Datawind CEO Suneet Tuli.

He said the government is also trying to encourage the state governments to chip in by subsidising it further so that the device can eventually be available to students free of cost.

The first one lakh devices will be provided to students of engineering colleges and universities and subsequently these will be distributed to others.

About 22 crore students will get the device across the country in the next five to six years. By coming Monday alone, 20,000 devices are expected to reach out to the students.

The device can also run on Linux operating system, do Aadhar authentication and control a robot from a distant place, said HRD Ministry officials.


Datawind Ubislate 7+

Google to face lawmakers

Google, Amazon and Starbucks to face UK lawmakers over tax

 November 12, 2012

UK lawmakers will quiz executives of Starbucks, Google and Amazon on Monday about how they have managed to pay only small amounts of tax in Britain while racking up billions of dollars worth of sales here.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which is charged with monitoring government financial affairs, has invited the companies to give evidence amid mounting public and political concern about tax avoidance by big international companies.

"It is hard for the ordinary person to believe it's fair," said Margaret Hodge, a member of parliament for the opposition Labour party and chairman of PAC.

"It makes people incredibly angry in the current fiscal climate," she added, in reference to the austerity measures which large budget deficits have forced on the UK, and other countries.

Britain and Germany last week announced plans to push the Group of 20 economic powers to make multinational companies pay their "fair share" of taxes following reports of large firms exploiting loopholes to avoid taxes.

A Reuters report last month showed that Starbucks had paid no corporation, or income, tax in the UK in the past three years.

The world's biggest coffee chain paid only 8.6 million pounds in total UK tax over 13 years during which it recorded sales of 3.1 billion pounds.

Campaign group UK Uncut, which is opposed to government austerity measures, and which has organised protests against British telecoms operator Vodafone <VOD.L> and pharmacist Boots over their tax practices, said in a statement on Monday that they planned to target Starbucks.

Starbucks said it followed the tax rules in every country where it operates and sought to pay its fair share of taxes.

"We are committed to being transparent on this issue and look forward to appearing before this committee," a spokeswoman said.

Starbucks Chief Financial Officer Tory Alstead will give evidence to the committee, as will Matt Brittin, Chief Executive Officer of Google UK, and Andrew Cecil, Brussels-based Director of Public Policy for Amazon, a PAC spokesman said.

Google's filings show it had $4 billion of sales in the UK last year, but despite having a group-wide profit margin of 33 percent, its main UK unit had a tax charge of just 3.4 million pounds in 2011.

The company avoids UK tax by channeling non-U.S. sales via an Irish unit, an arrangement that allowed it to pay taxes at a rate of 3.2 percent on non-U.S. profits. Amazon's main UK unit paid less than 1 million pounds in income tax last year. The company had UK sales worth $5.3-7.2 billion, filings show.

Amazon avoids UK taxes by reporting European sales through a Luxembourg-based unit. This structure allowed it to pay a tax rate of 11 percent on foreign profits last year - less than half the average corporate income tax rate in its major markets.

Google declined to comment. Amazon did not respond to requests for comment.

Hodge and former financial services minister Paul Myners told the Sunday Telegraph newspaper that the government should consider a new revenue-based tax to ensure profits from UK sales didn't go offshore.

Nexus 4, Nexus 10, Android 4.2: an exclusive first look from inside Google 

Apple iPad mini

Everything you wanted to know about Apple iPad mini

Date: November 3, 2012      Duration: 01:43

Everything you wanted to know about Apple iPad mini

Wikipedia

Wikipedia adds new video player in a bid to reach new audiences

Indo-Asian News Service, November 10, 2012

Wikipedia, the world's largest online encyclopedia, has launched a new project enabling registered users to post videos, according to the portal's press service.

"A new video player has been enabled on Wikipedia and its sister sites, and it comes with the promise of bringing free educational videos to more people, on more devices, in more languages," Wikimedia Foundation said Friday.

Wikipedia articles have remained largely text-based until now.

The video upload project, carried out in cooperation with open-source video start-up Kaltura and the Google search engine, was launched in 2008. But it was delayed due to numerous technical problems.

The new HTML5 player is a result of a combined effort between Wikipedia, Google and Kaltura.

Wikipedia, which sees 25 million unique daily visitors to its English section alone, currently hosts only about 15,000 videos.

The videos were added either via the older Ogg Theora player that has been in use since 2007 or as part of testing the new player, based on HTML5.

Apple still on top

Apple still on top, but showing signs of vulnerability

Agence France-Presse, November 10, 2012

Apple, the world's biggest and perhaps most admired company, seems to have lost some of its luster.

Despite the hugely successful launch of the iPhone 5 and iPad mini tablet, shares in the California tech giant have slid some 20 percent from all-time highs, and analysts are questioning whether Apple remains the leader in "innovation."

A flubbed mobile maps program and a major shakeup in key management have also tarnished the image of the firm that had seemed nearly invincible just months earlier.

A more competitive landscape for mobile phones and tablets, including the surge in devices using the Google Android operating system, have also changed the outlook for Apple.

Last month, Apple parted ways with Scott Forstall, the executive in charge of mobile software, following embarrassments over its glitch-ridden maps program, as well as John Browett, who headed Apple's real-world shops.

Some analysts say the company lacks the vision and commitment to excellence after the death last year of its admired chief Steve Jobs.

Apple stock hit a record high above $700 in September, but have since slumped more than 20 percent to $547.06 on Friday.

"Investors are confused and have lost faith in Apple management," said Trip Chowdhry, analyst at Global Equities Research.

"Apple today is not as customer centric as it used to be, and the rate of innovation is declining when the rate of innovation of competitors has dramatically risen."

Others argue that it is too soon to say Apple has peaked.

Charles Golvin at Forrester Research said that in a season filled with product launches from Amazon, Motorola, Nokia and others, Apple has been able "to exert a superior gravitational pull on its customers and partners than its competitors."

And Forrester's Sarah Rotman Epps said Apple "is entering the 2012 holiday season with its strongest product lineup ever, with wider retail distribution than it has ever had.

"Apple is already leading every game it plays. But these products will maintain Apple's momentum," she added.

Yet Apple has lost market share both in the tablet market, which it created with the iPad, and in smartphones.

Research firm IDC said Apple held a 50.4 percent of the tablet market in the third quarter from more than 65 percent in the second quarter, as rivals like Amazon and Google gained in the growing market.

IDC's Tom Mainelli said many consumers interested in buying a tablet "sat out the third quarter" waiting for the new iPad mini.

"We expect Apple to have a very good quarter. However, we believe the mini's relatively high $329 starting price leaves plenty of room for Android vendors to build upon the success they achieved in the third quarter," Mainelli said.

In smartphones, it was a similar story with Android grabbing 75 percent of the market and the Samsung Galaxy S3 getting the crown as the world's top selling smartphone, based on surveys.

IDC said Apple's smartphone market share slipped to 14.9 percent in the third quarter from 16.9 percent the prior period.

Even though the figures came as Apple launched the iPhone 5 -- which combined with the iPhone 4S, outsold the Samsung flagship -- the news was sobering for the Cupertino, California firm.

Many analysts remain bullish on Apple and say the recent stock slump is nothing to fret over.

"The selloff in Apple's stock in recent weeks has spooked investors but this correction is similar to the three others experienced over the past 13 months, all of which proved to be attractive buying opportunities," said Brian White at Topeka Capital Markets.

Gregori Volokhine of the investment firm Meeschaert said one problem for investors is that Apple, because of its huge success in recent years, has become the largest holding for nearly every investment fund in the US and elsewhere.

That means any move is likely to be amplified as investors follow the trend.

"Having too much of one stock means portfolio managers will sell on declines to reduce exposure," Volokhine said. "It's a vicious circle."

Google reports unexplained disruptions

Google reports unexplained disruptions to its services in China

Agence France-Presse, November 10, 2012

Google on Friday reported unexplained disruptions to its services in China.

"We've checked and there is nothing wrong on our end," a Google spokeswoman told AFP.

An online tool that tracks outages or disruptions to the California-based Internet giant's services showed online traffic in China plummet mid-day.

The disruption followed reports that Chinese Internet users have evaded censors to take pot shots at President Hu Jintao's assessment of his performance in a farewell speech.

Hu launched a week-long Communist Party congress in Beijing on Thursday with a speech that touted his political leadership, but also warned in stark terms of worsening problems such as corruption that threaten the party's legitimacy.

Users of the country's hugely popular microblogging sites -- the only major forum for relatively open expression in the tightly-controlled country -- reacted with cynicism.

The GreatFire.org website, which early last year began tracking Internet censorship in China, reported Friday that testing showed an array of Google websites were blocked there including search, email, and maps.

"This means that none of these websites, including Google Search, currently work in China, unless you have a VPN or other circumvention tool," according to a blog on the site, which monitors China's censorship online.

Beijing has denied involvement in the cyberattacks on the California-based firm, calling such accusations "groundless."

Google on Friday confirmed a sharp drop in access to its products in China, noting that it was the middle of the night there and that a clearer picture of the situation should be available as the day got underway.

Chinese censors last month blocked online searches related to the New York Times as well as the newspaper's websites after it published an investigation on the wealth of the Chinese premier's family.

China operates a huge system of Internet control and censorship dubbed the Great Firewall of China, aimed at snuffing out information or comments that the government considers a threat to its authority.

In early 2010, the Google said it suffered cyber-attacks from China-based parties apparently intent on hacking into the Gmail accounts of Chinese rights activists.

The resulting row caused tensions to spike between China and the United States and ended with Google reducing its presence in the Chinese market

Bigg Boss 6,

Sampat Pal's Bigg Boss 6 journey ends

Indo-Asian News Service | Saturday, November 10, 2012 (Mumbai)

Before entering Bigg Boss 6, Pal was doubtful if any of the glamorous celebrities would know about her.

Following an eventful stay in the house of Bigg Boss, Gulabi Gang leader Sampat Pal was evicted out of the reality show Friday.

Before entering Bigg Boss 6, Pal was doubtful if any of the glamorous celebrities would know about her. But she was pleasantly surprised when many praised her efforts to work for women's rights.

Her stay on the show was not exactly controversy-free. If she made friends with her simplicity and friendly demeanour at the beginning of the show, Pal also played it smart when required.

She was even involved in arguments with Rajev Paul, Urvashi Dholakia, Vrajesh Hirjee, and Sapna Bhavnani.

She was firm in making her point about anything and everything -- and even did what she set out to do -- spread a word about her achievements and success as the leader of a gang, which works towards fighting for women's rights.

Pal, who sported her trademark pink-coloured outfits throughout the show, even took active part in all the tasks and cooked for the housemates too. She was endearing in her own way.

Amitabh Bachchan

Bachchan swamped with "exciting" offers

Indo-Asian News Service | Saturday, November 10, 2012 (Mumbai)

The actor is currently hosting the sixth season of Kaun Banega Crorepati, and on the big screen, he was last seen in a cameo in English Vinglish.

A pool of filmmakers - old and new, wish to work with Amitabh Bachchan. The megastar says that he is swarmed with so many "exciting" projects that he doesn't know what to do.

"There are such interesting prospects in the time to come... one does not know which and what must be taken up... each exciting," tweeted the 70-year-old.

The actor is currently hosting the sixth season of Kaun Banega Crorepati, and on the big screen, he was last seen in a cameo in English Vinglish. 

Priyanka Chopra meets Simon Cowell

Priyanka Chopra meets Simon Cowell on US X-Factor sets

Indo-Asian News Service | Saturday, November 10, 2012 (Los Angeles

A recently uploaded picture on Priyanka's Twitter account showed her dressed in a sweater and a skirt.

Actress Priyanka Chopra, currently in the US to work on the music video of her debut international single In My City, dropped in on the sets of the American reality show The X-Factor.

The actress visited the sets to meet the show's judge and producer Simon Cowell as well as music band One Direction.

A recently uploaded picture on Priyanka's Twitter account showed her dressed in a sweater and a skirt. She is wearing a pair of trendy Fendi shoes and having good time with Cowell and One Direction members - Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik.

In India, The X Factor currently airs on Big CBS Prime, Big CBS Love and Big CBS Spark every Friday and Saturday.

Talaash

Aamir never stepped on my toes, says Talaash director

Press Trust of India | Friday, November 09, 2012 (Mumbai)      

Aamir Khan plays a cop in Talaash

Director Reema Kagti, who has teamed up with Aamir for her second film Talaash, has rubbished reports that she and the actor had creative differences while working on the film.

`"There were no creative differences ... There was no interference from him but yes there were lot of inputs. But he never stepped on my toes, he never forced me," Reema told PTI in an interview here.

"From the time Aamir has come on board he has been very helpful from taking this script to making it into a very good film," she said. Though it's a first where Reema is directing Aamir, but she has been an assistant for his films like Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai. "He is co-operative, supportive and it's wonderful to work with him. He is a very talented actor, he has got wonderful inputs. Aamir is obsessive about films and so am I. I know he followed me. He was respectful of me being a director," Reema said.

"I have worked with him while I was assisting during Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai so I knew him from before. I was comfortable and there was no such problem," she said. Aamir has been accused of being interfering in the past while working on Taare Zameen Par and Peepli Live.

Talaash has a stellar cast comprising of Aamir, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and others.

"Both Rani and Kareena are the finest actresses but have different process of approaching their work. Rani needs a lot of preparation.. she wants to know everything while Kareena is completely opposite," Reema said.

"Rani is the proverbial front bencher and Kareena is the back bencher. But both of them have terrific control over their art," said Reema, whose first film as a director was Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd.

On the casting she said, "I don't think I chose them they chose me. It was something about the script that they connected with. When we got nod from Aamir we took it to Kareena and Rani, we did couple of narrations and then they came on board."

"We were trying to have bankable stars as it gives the film a good start...They were all very cool and I never felt they were like superstars. I felt I was working with regular people and credit goes to them," she said.

Even Shah Rukh Khan was approached to play the role of a cop Surjan Singh Shekhawat now played by Aamir in the suspense drama. "When Zoya and I finished writing the script the first person we approached was Aamir but at that point he was shooting for Ghajini and was not reading scripts for a while at all," Reema said.

"We moved on and we contacted a couple of actors but no one came on board, nobody agreed to do the part. After one-and-half-two years Aamir started hearing scripts again.. so that's when we got chance to narrate him the script," she said.
The suspense drama jointly produced by Excel Entertainment and Aamir Khan Productions, releases on November 30.

Jab Tak Hai Jaan vs Son Of Sardaar

Jab Tak Hai Jaan vs Son Of Sardaar - It's raining money at the box office

Mid-Day.com | Friday, November 09, 2012 (Mumbai 

The combined billing of Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Son Of Sardaar is expected to be at least Rs 40 crore on Day Two!

All eyes are now set on the box office as Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn pull out their daggers at each other as their respective films Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Son of Sardaa release on the same day.

While the industry is divided in its opinion about the ongoing tussle between Yash Raj Films and the producers of Son Of Sardaar, the trade is upbeat about the moolah that will most probably be raked in as the two films hit the marquee simultaneously.

According to a source: "It will be a full-fledged Diwali at the box office. It is the awesome combination of the late Yash Chopra and SRK and Ajay Devgn, who is on a high with his back-to-back recent hits. The trade pundits say that November 14, the day after Diwali, will be historic, as both the films are expected to break all box office records for a single day's collection."

Nagpur-based exhibitor and distributor Akshay Rathi says, "November 14 is the day to watch out for. The combined billing of Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Son Of Sardaar is expected to be at least Rs 40 crore on Day Two! While everybody is busy speculating over who will pip whom at the Box Office, this day will go down in history as the best day ever for the trade."

Girish Wankhede from Cinemax added: "No way will the audience want to sit at home. Every 30-45 minutes, there will be a screening. I expect that both the films put together will make Rs 40 crore to Rs 45 crore."

However, Devang Sampat from Cinepolis, has a word of caution. He says, "The biggest billing for a day has been for Ek Tha Tiger that raked in Rs 33 crore. Since Ek Tha Tiger was a shorter film thanJab Tak Hai Jaan and Son Of Sardaar, the pace of tickets being sold was obviously faster."

While refusing to give a ballpark figure regarding the films' business, trade analyst Amod Mehra says, "One cannot forget that Jab Tak Hai Jaan has more screens than SOS. So it is difficult to predict the actual amount." Game on, then!