Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone sales pass 30 mln - Businessweek

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Samsung said Monday it has sold more than 30 million flagship Galaxy S III smartphones in about five months, making it one of the fastest selling smartphones in the world.

Samsung Electronics Co., the world's biggest mobile phone maker, launched the smartphone at the end of May, months before competitors began shipping the latest versions of their top phones.

When Apple Inc. unveiled the iPhone 5 in September, Samsung launched an advertising campaign poking fun at the new iPhone.

The South Korean firm said the S III is selling at a much faster rate than its predecessor announced a year ago, the Galaxy S II. The S II took 14 months to hit 30 million sales. Sales of the Galaxy Note II, which fills a market niche between smartphones and tablets, surpassed 3 million in 37 days, Samsung said last week.

The runaway demand for high-end smartphones fueled record profits at Samsung in recent quarters while other consumer electronics firms were hit by the global economic downturn that dented demand for TVs and personal computers.

Samsung, which also makes TVs, home appliances, semiconductors and display panels, got almost 70 percent of its third-quarter operating profit from the division that makes mobile devices, cameras and computers.

Nomura Financial Investment in Seoul forecasts that Samsung will sell 67 million smartphones in the October-December quarter. That would be about 10 million units more than Samsung's smartphone sales in the previous quarter.

Samsung does not disclose its quarterly smartphone sales figures, but analysts and research firms say the company sold a record 56-58 million smartphones in July-September.

Nomura, which is more optimistic about Samsung's prospects than other forecasters, says Samsung's mobile communications business will post 5 percent growth in fourth quarter profit from the third quarter, thanks to the high-end phones — the S III and the Note II.

Research firm IDC ranks the South Korean firm as the world's top smartphone seller in the last three quarters. In the latest July-September period, Samsung sold 56.3 million smartphones versus Apple's 26.9 million, IDC said.

A troubling promise in iPad Mini's new Xmas ad - CNET

Only in her dreams, Grandad.

(Credit: Apple screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

Xmas is a time for families to be together and share all the tensions they have harbored for the whole year.

So to celebrate family closeness, Apple has just released an ad -- bless you, MacStories -- for the iPad Mini. It features a grandfather and granddaughter.

She is singing to him over FaceTime.

We see her face on a regular iPad and his on an iPad Mini.

Naturally, the viewing public, tired from shopping and eating, are supposed to look at this sweet opus and offer an "aahh" and a "so sweet."

Here at Technically Incorrect, though, we seek the deeper meanings.

So let's analyze what's really going on here. The girl is singing "I'll Be Home For Xmas."

Granddad, who perhaps hasn't seen her in some time, is delighted that finally, finally he will get to see the lovely girl.

Then the song takes a turn for the worse. For she sings that she'll be home for Xmas "if only in her dreams."

Granddad doesn't seem to register this nuance. He's too busy being charmed. But the truth seems to be that the little girl isn't going to be seeing Granddad for Xmas.

She's winding him up with a promise, merely to show off her singing skills and her iPad.

I fear Granddad's actually going to be all on his lonesome this Xmas, while his sweet little granddaughter will be playing video games on her iPad Mini and downloading more songs to learn.

I wonder what the next one will be. "Only The Lonely," perhaps.

Microsoft readies Office for iPad and Android - V3.co.uk

Microsoft is reported to be readying mobile versions of its Office applications for the iPhone, iPad and Android-based smart devices.

According to sources close to Microsoft quoted by technology site The Verge, both iOS and Android versions of Microsoft's popular Office applications are due for release early in 2013.

These versions of Office Mobile will require a Microsoft account and provide native Word, PowerPoint and Excel applications on these platforms, it is claimed.

Rumours that a version of Office for the iPad is under development have surface regularly over the years, and while offering additional support for the iPhone and burgeoning Android ecosystem, this would also highlight one of the selling points of Microsoft's newly released Surface tablets.

The Surface has garnered much praise since release, thanks in no small part to the inclusion of Microsoft Office.

However, the iOS and Android versions of the  apps will reportedly offer just basic editing facilities, with users who desire greater functionality having to fork out for an Office 365 subscription.

Earlier this year, Microsoft firmly denied one rumour that it had plans to make an iOS version of Office, following the emergence of screenshots apparently showing Office running on an iPad.

Microsoft declined V3's request for clarification regarding the latest reports, with a spokesman delivering the company's stock response of "We don't comment on rumours or speculation."

However, The Verge quotes a company representative as saying that "Office will work across Windows Phone, iOS and Android."

The news may be welcomed by IT chiefs, many of whom have staff clamouring for iPads or Android tablets, while finding many of the productivity suites available on these devices do not pass muster.

The Register Guide to Windows Server 2012 - Register

The Register Guide to Windows Server 2012

Get your free download here

By David Gordon • Get more from this author

Posted in Data Center, 11th February 2013 11:30 GMT

Free whitepaper – Operationalizing Information Security

Promo Reg stalwarts Trevor Pott and Liam Proven had teamed up to write The Register Guide to Windows Server 2012 - it is fab and it is free,* and it is well worth a read.

The authors deliver a great overview of WS2012 and its place in today's IT environment. Windows Server 2012 is the server version's first big update for four-and-a-half years.

It is as big a leap over 2008 R2 as 2008 R2 was over 2003. Server 2012 comes with some great new features. It also refines previous versions of Server to bring it past the "never use version 1.0" stage and up to parity, in features and stability, with competing offerings.

Download The Register Guide to Windows Server 2012 via our ebooks page.

There are two .mobi versions for Kindle. One is free to download - and *one is available via Amazon for £1.53. The sole difference between the two is that the Amazon hosted version lets you sync the book across all devices.

The book is also available in EPUB file format, free of charge. ®

Free whitepaper – Operationalizing Information Security

HTC launches India's most expensive Android phone, Butterfly - Times of India

NEW DELHI: Taiwanese manufacturer HTC has launched its new flagship smartphone, Butterfly, in India. The top-of-the-line device has broken all price barriers for Android smartphones in India and will cost buyers Rs 44,900. This places new HTC phone above Apple iPhone 5's base model and Nokia Lumia 920 in terms of pricing, and much ahead of Samsung Galaxy S III.

The distinction of being the most expensive Android phone was previously held by Samsung Galaxy S III, which was initially launched at Rs 43,180 in May 2012. However, this price was soon cut to sub-Rs 40,000 levels and the device currently sells for approximately Rs 32,000 on the internet.

HTC Butterfly, known as Droid DNA in the US market, features a 5-inch Super LCD3 screen. This display has pixel density of 441ppi, the highest in any phone currently available in the market, and supports full HD videos (shot at 1920x1080p resolution). This smartphone comes with Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), layered with HTC Sense UI, out-of-the-box and can be upgraded to Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean).

The upcoming Butterfly is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor with 2GB RAM. It will have 16GB onboard memory and will support microSD card expansion up to 32GB. Connectivity options in the device include 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 and microUSB. Since the device is not listed on HTC's India website, it is not known whether the device meant for the market will support 4G LTE or not. Butterfly will sport an 8MP autofocus snapper with LED flash on the back and 2.1MP camera in the front.

Sony has also showcased a new smartphone with a full HD screen, Xperia Z. Apart from features similar to HTC Butterfly, this phone is also resistant to water, dust and shocks.

The official iPhone actually runs Android - in Brazil - Register

Apple has lost the rights to the trademark "iPhone" in Brazil to a local manufacturer which makes an Android phone called the iPhone NEO. Yesterday the Brazilian Trademark and Patents Office rejected Apple's claims to the trademark "iPhone" in the category of telecoms and the category of electronic devices.

"Registration rejected due to legal conventions" reads the notice on Apple's trademark application number 829213910, which requests use of "iPhone" in class 38 for Telecommunications and was filed in November 2007.

Brazilian electronics maker Gradiente applied for the trademark "iPhone" in 2000, reports the Wall Street Journal, and was granted the rights to the trademark in 2008. However to claim the mark the company must make commercial use of it within a five year window. It took Gradiente till December 2012 to release the IPHONE Neo One, an Android handset, confirming their claim and triggering the rejection of Apple's application.

A screengrab of the rejected Apple Trademark Application for iPhone in Class 38

Apple is contesting the decision on the basis that Gradiente failed to make use of its trademark within the five year window, states the Journal.

Apple was granted the Brazilian trademark application for "iPhone" in four other categories including: Class 39, computer services; Class 41, the provision of entertainment services; Class 35 retail stores and in Class 42, computers.

Apple was refused the rights to "iPhone" in Class 38 telecoms (application number 829213910) and in Class 9 for electronic and scientific devices (application number 829272747).

Apple is in a similar tussle in Mexico where it recently lost a trademark infringement lawsuit to a Telco with a trademark on iFone. ®

Skype 3.0 lands on Android tabs, says all your bass are belong to it - Register

Skype 3.0 lands on Android tabs, says all your bass are belong to it

And heeyy, take a look at this cool Microsoft login ...

By Bill Ray • Get more from this author

Posted in Mobile, 21st November 2012 14:07 GMT

Free whitepaper – The Benefits of a Hybrid Security Architecture

Skype for Android is up to version three, promising better sound and tablet-friendly menus along with Microsoft account sign-in as Redmond continues to merge user accounts.

The claim to improved sound is credible. The variability of Skype's audio makes it hard to pin down, but apparently there's a better audo codec called SILK which copes with varying speeds and improves the capture of deep, bassy, tones of Morgan Freeman types.

Certainly at first hearing the audio sounds better, and while the interface still feels a bit stretched out on a decent-sized tablet it goes a long way to coping with the diversity of Android form factors now available.

Skype, which is owned by Microsoft these days, is integrated into Windows Phone devices but needs to get itself installed onto other devices if it doesn't want to lose lose traction as a number of new VoIP (and video) platforms emerge. Many of these new VoIP players have the backing of network operators, which appear to be conceding - at last - that voice calls aren't going to pay the bills any more. ®

Free whitepaper – Gartner: Secure Web Gateway Malware Detection Techniques