A cell phone for the visually impaired

Indian mobile manufacturer Intex has launched the Intex Vision, a mobile phone for the visually impaired. The phone was unveiled by the National Association for the Blind (NAB) to its students and faculty.

The phone features a large keypad with numbers written in Braille to assist the recognition of digits. For those who do not read Braille, the phone can speak out the numbers in English at the press of a button. An SOS feature allows calls to one of four preset emergency numbers.

Other features include wireless FM radio, audio player, expandable memory up to 2 GB, torch light, auto call record, mobile tracker, a phone and SMS memory of 1000 contacts and 250 messages respectively.

The phone has been met with a very positive response from the visually impaired community. "Blindness is a disability which could be overcome with training and guidance. The INTEX Vision phone is an ideal tool for the visually impaired people to satisfy their communication needs. It can play a very useful role in their integrated development" said Mr. Mohinder Kapur, President, National Association for the Blind.

The phone will be available at a street price of Rs. 2,600.

Apple developers get iPhone 4S?

An iPhone 4 sporting the same dual-core A5 processor as the iPad2 has surfaced on the Internet. According to 9to5mac, who have reported the existence of the device, describe it as a prototype device meant for developers only to showcase the gaming potential of the A5 processor on the iPhone.

They are calling it the iPhone 4S, as it does not involve any major redesign and only has under the hood upgrades similar on the lines of the iPhone 3GS. 9to5mac was pretty clear in mentioning that these devices were just early prototypes, which might leave room for further design modifications.

After the Japan earthquake many people have ruled out a World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) launch in June for the new iPhone but the September launch looks more likely.

The device is expected to launch with an 8-megapixel camera, the A5 Dual-Core processor, a larger screen and a QUALCOMM world phone chip, which is also currently used in the Verizon iPhone 4.

Samsung bites back at Apple with lawsuit

Samsung Electronics said it has filed a lawsuit against Apple alleging patent infringements, days after the US technology firm took the South Korean company to court on similar grounds.

Samsung said it filed suit Thursday in a Seoul court alleging five patent infringements by Apple. Separate suits were filed in Tokyo citing two patent infringements and in the German city of Mannheim citing three.

"Samsung is responding actively to the legal action taken against us in order to protect our intellectual property and to ensure our continued innovation and growth in the mobile communications business," the company said in a statement which gave no details of the alleged infringements.

The announcement came a week after Apple filed suit against Samsung in San Francisco claiming that the South Korean giant copied its smartphones and tablet computers.

Apple's lawsuit says Samsung's mobile phones and Galaxy Tab imitated the iPhone and the iPad. Samsung vowed at the time to "respond actively".

The Galaxy Tab has been the best-selling rival to the iPad, which has dominated the growing market for the touchscreen devices.

Despite their prickly competition in finished products, the two firms have a close business relationship.

Apple was Samsung's second-largest client in 2010 after Japan's Sony Corp, accounting for four percent of the South Korean firm's 155 trillion won ($142 billion) annual revenue.

"We are Samsung's largest customer (for liquid crystal display panels and semiconductors) and Samsung is a very valued component supplier to us," Apple chief operating officer Tim Cook said Wednesday in the United States.

But Apple filed its lawsuit because the Korean company had "crossed the line", he said.

In comments Thursday, Samsung's chairman Lee Kun-Hee said Apple was trying to keep his company in check.

"It's like the proverbial nail that sticks out gets hammered down," Lee told reporters, according to Yonhap news agency.

"Not only Apple, but also unrelated companies that do not produce electronics products are increasingly trying to keep Samsung in check."

Apple tops Nokia as top handset vendor in revenue

Apple has surpassed Finland's Nokia to become the world's largest handset vendor in revenue terms, a technology research company said Thursday.

Strategy Analytics said Apple overtook Nokia for the first time in the first quarter with iPhone revenue estimated at $11.9 billion on sales of 18.6 million units.

Nokia revenue was estimated at $9.4 billion for the period. The Finnish company remains number one overall in terms of units sold, selling 108.5 million handsets in the first quarter but for cheaper prices than the iPhone.

"With strong volumes and high wholesale prices, (Apple) has successfully captured revenue leadership of the total handset market in less than four years," said Alex Spektor of Strategy Analytics.

"In revenue terms, Apple is now the world's largest handset vendor, smartphone vendor and tablet vendor," added Neil Mawston, director at Boston-based Strategy Analytics.

Strategy Analytics also said that it expects that the number of smartphones running Google's Android software to surpass the iPhone by the end of the year.

Reporting its fiscal second-quarter results on Wednesday, Apple said it nearly doubled its quarterly net profit on record iPhone sales.

The Cupertino, California-based gadget-maker said it sold 18.65 million iPhones during the quarter, up 113 percent over a year ago and helped by the addition of a second US carrier, Verizon.

Nokia's market share falls below 30 percent

Nokia Corp. reported better than expected first-quarter profits Thursday but its global market share dropped to below 30 per cent for the first time in over a decade as the world's top cellphone maker continued to lose ground to rivals.

The Finnish company's net profit in January through March fell euro5 million to euro344 million ($499 million) from a year earlier. Revenue grew 9 per cent to euro10.40 billion.

The company's share price climbed several per cent as markets had anticipated a greater fall in profits and lower sales, but closed almost unchanged at euro5.96 ($8.65) on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.

The Finnish company has faced stiff competition in recent years in the high-end sector, particularly from Apple Inc.'s iPhone, Android-based handsets and Research in Motion's Blackberry.

Nokia sold 24 million smartphones in the period, 13 per cent more than in 2010, but its market share for the devices plunged to 24 per cent from 39 per cent a year earlier, according to Strategy Analytics market research.

The company's overall global market share also fell -- to 29 per cent, its lowest level since the late 1990s. A year ago its total market share was 33 per cent and 31 per cent in the previous quarter.

Nokia sold 108.5 million devices in the first quarter, above the Strategy Analytics estimate of 105 million, and the average selling price of its handsets continued its growth to euro65, from euro62 a year earlier, indicating it is selling more top, expensive models.

"Volumes were better than expected and pricing was stronger," said Neil Mawston, an analyst at Strategy Analytics . "But it's clear that competition is still tough."

Mawston said Nokia can expect "bumpy revenues and profits for the next couple of quarters," as its recently announced linkup with Microsoft Corp. comes on-stream.

CEO Stephen Elop said Nokia has now signed a "definitive" deal with Microsoft Corp. to develop software for smartphones "and that product design and engineering work was "well under way."

The partnership, first announced in February, will make Windows Phone software the main platform used in the Finnish company's smartphones.
Elop did not say when the Nokia Windows phone would be launched. But Kai Oistamo, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer, Nokia and Andy Lees, President, Mobile Communications Business, Microsoft post on Microsoft's technet blog , "Hundreds of our team members are already working together toward a multi-year product roadmap and are on-schedule to deliver volume shipments in 2012 although the pressure is on for first delivery in 2011."

"In recognition of the unique nature of Nokia's agreement with Microsoft and the contributions that Nokia is providing, Nokia will receive payments measured in the billions of dollars," Nokia said.

Describing the first quarter as "remarkable," he said the company will face "a more challenging second quarter," as it goes through a restructuring period with Microsoft.

Nokia said the tsunami and earthquake in Japan had disrupted the supply of some components linked to Japanese suppliers and would impact its results in the second quarter.

Facing fierce competition, Nokia has lost its position as the industry's innovative leader and the company's stock dipped to a 13-year low of euro5.60 in March.

At the end of last year its Symbian platform was surpassed by Android as the world's No. 1 smartphone software, according to Canalys research firm.

On Thursday, Strategy Analytics said Apple had overtaken Nokia in the first quarter to become the world's largest handset vendor in revenue terms, selling a record 18.6 million iPhones.

Nokia, an Espoo-based company near Helsinki, employs 132,500 people.

BlackBerry sells about 50,000 tablets on launch day

Considering all the negative reviews its received before its launch, the BlackBerry tablet PlayBook sold more than expected Tuesday, according to figures.

Accroding to an analysis of the sale figures Wednesday, Research In Motion (RIM) might have sold 500,000 tablets on launch day.

Though these figures are just one-sixth of the 300,000 iPads sold by Apple on launch in April last year, the PlayBook's first-day sales are much better than those of other tablets such as Samsung's Galaxy Tab and Motorola's Xoom - both of which run Google Android operating system.

The analysis by the Toronto-based RBC Capital Markets, which is an investment bank of the country's top Royal Bank of
Canada (RBC), said 11 per cent of retail stores reported selling all their stock on the opening day.

Future Shop, Best Buy, Sears and Staple are the major chains which are selling the PlayBook in North America.

Many of 180 Best Buy stores were reporting that they were out of stock, according the report.

The PlayBook has been trashed for lacking access to email, content and calendar unless the buyer is a BlackBerry subscriber because he can tether it to his smart phone with BlackBerry Bridge software. But the BlackBerry Bridge software is not yet available on AT&T which accounts for eight million of over 60 million BlackBerry subscribers.

Though the tablet can connect to the Internet through Wi-Fi, tethering via BlackBerry Bridge is needed to use its native Blackberry email and calendar apps. All BlackBerry carrier networks offer tethering free. RIM has promised 3G version and more models later this summer.

Analyst Peter Misek of Jeffries & Co, in his research note Wednesday, said, "While the launch of the Playbook is not attracting overnight crowds, pre-order sales and in-store demand in major cities has been solid; however, AT&T's prohibition of free tethering is an unexpected negative.''

According to his projections, RIM sold about 25,000 tablets through pre-orders and retail outlets accounted for another 20,000 tablets.

"If correct, 45K+ sell through on the first day would be a success," Misek wrote in his research note.

RIM stock was also up more than two percent on the Toronto Stock Exchange Wednesday after sinking nearly four percent Tuesday.

New Walkman phone appears on Sony Ericsson's site

Sony Ericsson will launch a new 'Walkman' phone called the W8 that runs on Google's Android OS. The phone recently appeared on the Sony Ericsson website, though there has been no official statement to announce the launch.

The device will feature a 3" touch display and a 3.2 megapixel camera with micro-SD memory up-to 16GB. Although the device will run Android it is not clear which version will come loaded on the device.

This will be the first Android powered phone to sport Sony Ericsson's Walkman brand.

Recently, Sony Ericsson launched the Xperia Play, which became the first PlayStation Certified phone. After the launch of the Xperia Play this might be an attempt to reignite the Walkman branded phones, which have taken a beating at the hands of the iPhone and other smartphones.
                                                                             
The device is expected to be released in India, China, Hong-Kong, Indonesia and Vietnam and will be available in azure, orange and red colors.

Nokia and Microsoft seal partnership

Nokia and Microsoft recently announced that they have signed a definitive agreement to partner and build devices based on Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 operating system.  Nokia and Microsoft had first announced their partnership on February 11.

A press release says that hundreds of personnel from both companies are collaborating to develop a portfolio of new Nokia devices to be ready for volume shipments in 2012. Pressure is high to develop and launch the first product in 2011 itself.

This is what Kai Oistamo, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer, Nokia and Andy Lees, President, Mobile Communications Business, Microsoft jointly posted on Microsoft's developer blog Technet: "Developers like Angry Birds maker, Rovio; deal of the day supersite, Groupon; hot social app, Ditto; and UK mega-retailer, Sainsbury's, are all committing to the Windows Phone platform. And, to make joining the Windows Phone ecosystem even easier, in the first year we will make Windows Phone developer registration free for all published Nokia developers."

The joint press release also states that the partnership between the two companies will revolve around the following major points:

1. A range of development related agreements that will result in Nokia delivering imaging, mapping, navigation and location based services to the Windows Phone ecosystem. On the other hand, all Nokia products will feature Microsoft's Bing search engine. Nokia will have its own application store that will serve applications for Windows Phone, Symbian and Series 40 devices.

2. Microsoft will receive a royalty for all the devices that Nokia ships with the Windows Phone 7 platform.

3. Nokia will receive payments from Microsoft measured in billions of dollars for its contribution to the agreement. A specific amount was not mentioned.

The announcement was made after Nokia announced its recent quarter results. Nokia announced that its market share has reduced to 26 percent, down from 31 per cent in the same quarter last year. They also shipped 18 per cent less phones than the previous quarter.

First iOS game for girls by girls

Vancouver based Silicon Sisters, the first female owned and run video game studio, will release School 26 today, an iOS game especially for girls.

Did you think girls don't game? 40% of gamers are female, and not only do they make their presence felt but also win matches at events like Quake Con or World Cyber Games.

School 26 is built around teenage angst and the social difficulties of high school. The user takes on the role of a young girl who finds it hard to maintain relationships. As she switches to her 26th school, she strikes a deal with her parents: if she manages to make friends in this institute, they will stay put. The user must control the character to do just that.

This isn't your everyday run and gun game and certainly not aimed at hard core gamers. This is the kind of game that will attract a casual crowd that like a bit of interactivity and fun on mobile devices. Silicon Sisters plans to make more games for the casual crowd but want to keep the theme of its games focused at building social skills and interaction also known as "social engineering".

Silicon Sisters is run by former Radical Entertainment executive producer Kristen Forbes and Brenda Bailey Gershkovitch, formerly COO of Deep Fried Entertainment.

Are Apple iPhone and iPad killing the iPod?

Apple posted it's second quarter results for 2011 yesterday and smashed records with a revenue of over $24 billion. No surprises there. However, there was a red spot in this northbound graph - a 17% decrease in iPod sales.

While iPad sales are up with the launch of version 2, the Mac posted a 28% improvement over the previous quarter as well, selling 3.76 million units.

So, is the competition that's killing the iPod coming from within Apple? Results would prove so, with the iPod functionality on the iPhone and iPads leaving fewer takers for yet another portable device dedicated to music. Outside factors like the Android platform boom, the rise of the Windows Phone 7, and the move towards devices that do it all may also have contributed to the iPod's waning star.

The silver lining for this cloud looming darkly on Apple's horizon is that the iPod remains, by far, the dominant MP3 player in the market as emphasized by the fact that Microsoft had to kill it's competing Zune HD player.

Nokia C2-06 touch and type slider leaked

Nokia will add a third touch and type phone to the current X3-02 and C3-01. According to a website called Hackintos, the device, possibly called C2-06, is expected to be a slider phone with a keypad as well as a resistive touchscreen. It is also expected to support Dual SIM but no information is available on whether it will be GSM only or CDMA as well.

The keypad on the device also shows off the ability to type in Hindi. The operating on the device is expected to be the same as the X3-02 and the C3-01 i.e., Symbian S40. The rear of the device features a 2MP camera but doesn't house a flash.

Rumours on the Internet claim that the device lacks 3G as well as Wi-Fi but thankfully supports Bluetooth. Based on information available so far, the device should launch in the price bracket of Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 8,000 since other such devices are at the Rs. 8,000 mark.

Reliance Communications launches mobile banking with SBI

Reliance Communications Wednesday said it has launched mobile banking services for its GSM subscribers in collaboration with the State Bank of India (SBI).

"Reliance consumers can use facilities like balance enquiry, mini statement, fund transfer, cheque book issuance, mobile recharge and bill payment at any time and place through the use of their cell phones," the company said in a statement.

The customers will not require any special mobile application or GPRS to use the service but they should have an account with SBI, it added.

The customers will also have to register for the services with the bank and will thereafter get messages for successful transaction.

The users will have to dial *595# to view simple menu choices and key in their choice.

"Consumers use their cell phones to play games, read news headlines, surf the internet, do online trading etc. And still consumers continuously keep demanding more and more from their phones," said Mahesh Prasad, president-wireless business, Reliance Communications.

"This mobile banking service is yet another useful service for our customers, they can now avoid those long queues at the SBI branches," he added.

Samsung 'crossed the line': Apple executive

Apple filed suit against Samsung last week because it had "crossed the line," a top Apple executive said Wednesday, but hopes to maintain a "strong relationship" with the South Korean company.

"We are Samsung's largest customer (for liquid crystal display panels and semiconductors) and Samsung is a very valued component supplier to us," Apple chief operating officer Tim Cook said.

"And I expect the strong relationship will continue," Cook told financial analysts during a second-quarter earnings call.

"Separately from this, we felt the mobile communications division at Samsung had crossed the line and after trying for some time to work the issue we decided we needed to rely on the courts," Cook said.

Apple filed suit against Samsung in San Francisco on Friday alleging that the South Korean giant copied its smartphones and tablet computers.

Apple's lawsuit claims Samsung's mobile phones and Galaxy Tab imitated the iPhone and the iPad.

Samsung vowed it would "respond actively to this legal action taken against us through appropriate legal measures to protect our intellectual property."

Apple was Samsung's second-largest client in 2010 after Japan's Sony Corp, accounting for four percent of the South Korean firm's 155 trillion won ($142 billion) annual revenue.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab has been the best-selling rival to the iPad, which has dominated the growing market for the touchscreen devices.

iPhone secretly records your every move

Apple faced questions on Wednesday about the security of its iPhone and iPad after a report that the devices regularly record their locations in a hidden file.

The report came from a technology conference in San Francisco, where two computer programmers presented research showing that the iPhone and 3G versions of the iPad began logging users' locations a year ago, when Apple updated its mobile operating system.

After customers upgraded the software, a new hidden file began periodically storing location data, apparently gleaned from nearby cellphone towers and Wi-Fi networks, along with the time.

The data is stored on a person's phone or iPad, but when the device is synced to a computer, the file is copied over to the hard drive, the programmers said. The data is not normally encrypted; although users can encrypt their information when they sync their devices, few do.

To some privacy advocates, the storing of the data was a clear breach. "The secretive collection of location data crosses the privacy line," said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a privacy policy organization based in Washington.

"Apple should know better than to track iPhone users in this way."
Others said the discovery of the hidden file was unlikely to have a major practical impact on privacy and security.

"It is more symbolic than anything else," said Tim O'Reilly, a longtime technology pundit and founder of O'Reilly Media. "It is one more sign of how devices are collecting data about us and potentially sharing it with others. This is the future. We have to figure out how to deal with it."

Law enforcement officials can already get this type of location information from cellphone companies, Mr. O'Reilly said; there are, however, conflicting rulings in federal courts about whether they need a search warrant.

But sitting on a home computer, the data could now be more vulnerable to access by hackers or others, he said. And information about a person's locations over time could be accessible to strangers if a phone or iPad was lost or if it was attacked by malware.

The news of what appeared to be a security problem immediately ricocheted across the Internet as bloggers on technology and Apple-centered sites debated the many questions left unanswered by the report.

It is unclear, for example, whether Apple is gaining access to the information in any way. It is also unclear how precise the location data is and why it is being stored at all.

The programmers said they had asked Apple's product security team about their findings but did not receive a response. Apple also did not respond to a request for comment from The New York Times.

The report even attracted attention from political figures, like Senator Al Franken, Democrat of Minnesota, who sent Apple's chief executive, Steven P. Jobs, a letter asking why Apple was "secretly compiling" the data and what it would be used for.

Some privacy experts said the issue was not the legality of storing this information but whether Apple was playing fair with its customers.

"Collecting this data is not illegal, but it does matter whether or not this is explicitly spelled out in Apple's terms of use," said Christina Gagnier, a lawyer specializing in privacy and copyright. "Apple constantly changes their privacy policy, and it's questionable whether most users are aware this is happening."

Apple has an obligation to its customers to allow them to opt out of being tracked, said Ian Glazer of Gartner Research, who is a director in the company's identity and privacy group. "There is no way to really turn this tracking off," he said. "It needs to be visually obvious, or in the settings, to see that this is happening on your phone."

Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden presented the paper at the O'Reilly Where 2.0 conference, a gathering of experts on location technology. Mr. Allan said in a blog post that beyond the issue of storing the information is the question of "how Apple intends to use it -- or not."

Apple earnings strong, couldn't meet iPad demand

Apple Inc. is already the envy of the technology world. On Wednesday, it rubbed it in with quarterly results that had only one blemish: It couldn't make the new iPads fast enough.

"We sold every iPad 2 we could make," Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer said.

Apple sold 4.7 million iPads of both kinds in its latest quarter, below analyst expectations and the holiday quarter's sales. It launched the second version of the tablet computer two weeks before the end of the period. Prospective buyers likely held off for the new model, which then turned out to be tough to find.

Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook told investors on a conference call that timing production lines to the transition from one model to the next is always difficult. He said the company has to make decisions "many, many weeks in advance."

Now, he said, progress is being made on expanding iPad production. The company is expanding sales of the tablet to 13 more countries next week, bringing the total to 39.

"I'm very confident that we can produce a very large number of iPads for the quarter," said Cook, who is known for deft management of supply chains and inventory.

Apple launched the original iPad last April, and it's turned out to be the first really successful tablet computer. The company has sold 19.5 million iPads through the latest quarter.

Analysts now see it encroaching significantly on PC sales. Competitors are rushing out their own tablets, but none have come close to matching the iPad's reception.

Apple said net income for its fiscal second quarter, which ended March 26, was $5.99 billion, or $6.40 per share. That's up 95 percent from $3.07 billion, or $3.33 per share, a year ago.

Analysts polled by FactSet were expecting earnings of $5.37 per share.

Revenue was $24.7 billion, up 83 percent from $13.5 billion a year ago. Analysts were expecting $23.4 billion.

The results were lifted by the record sale of 18.65 million iPhones, millions more than analysts had expected. Verizon Wireless started selling the phone in the quarter, ending AT&T Inc.'s three-and-half-year period of being the only U.S. iPhone carrier. In most of the 90 other countries where the iPhone is available, it is sold by more than one phone company.

Earlier Wednesday, AT&T reported strong iPhone sales, as it continued to upgrade many existing subscribers even in the face of competition from Verizon.

Apple, which is based in Cupertino, Calif., sold 3.8 million Mac computers in the quarter, a 28 percent increase over last year. The increase is particularly notable given that research firms found a contraction of 1 percent to 3 percent in the overall PC market in the same period.

For the current quarter, Apple said it expects revenue of $23 billion and earnings of about $5.03 per share. Both figures are below analyst expectations of $23.9 billion and $5.26 per share, respectively. Apple commonly lowballs its forecasts, but Cook said the effects of the earthquake on the Japanese economy would lower revenue by $200 million, or about 1 percent.

Electronics manufacturers are struggling with disrupted supplies of components from Japan, but Cook said there are no unsolvable problems for Apple in sight.

After the release of the results, Apple shares rose $14.34, or 4.2 percent, to $356.75 in extended trading, climbing more than half of the way to the all-time high of $364.90. They rose 1.4 percent in regular trading earlier.

CEO Steve Jobs went on medical leave in January and did not participate on Wednesday's conference call (he typically didn't participate in earnings calls even before his leave). Cook is running day-to-day operations.

"We do see him on a regular basis and as we've previously said, he continues to be involved in major strategic decisions," Cook said.

There has been speculation that the next iPhone model would arrive some months later than the usual June-July time frame. Cook said nothing substantive in response to analyst questions on the subject.

Cook reiterated Apple's position on 4G "Long-Term Evolution" chips, used for super-high data speeds on Verizon's new network. He said they force design compromises that Apple isn't prepared to make. Competitor HTC Corp. is already selling an LTE phone that uses Verizon's network, but Cook's comments appear to make it unlikely that Apple's next phone would do the same.

New Apple iPhone leaked?

A leaked video of a white iPhone 4 running, what seems to be, an early build of iOS 5 (the operating system that powers Apple iPhone and iPad) or an unreleased version of iOS 4 has popped up on YouTube. A user from Vietnam with the screen name 'tinhtevideo' has uploaded this particular video.

The video shows that Apple may add the much awaited full multi-tasking functionality in the new version of its iOS. It shows that multitasking has been revamped with the icon based multitasking menu being replaced by a new window showing various apps running in tiles. Previously Apple had said that it opted for limited multi-tasking due to battery life concerns. With the impeding launch of iOS 5 and the iPhone 5, Apple might have actually worked out these issues.

Apple has also been promising a white colour in the popular iPhone, but has not been able to launch it. The video shows the iPhone in white, which prompts at a new iPhone launch. The device seen in the video also featured 64GB internal memory, which is double the amount of memory currently available on iPhones. This might indicate a memory bump in the iPhones to come.

Over the past few months there has been a lot of conjecture over the launch of the iPhone 5 which was widely expected at the WWDC (Apple's World-Wide Developer Conference) in June. However, after the Japan earthquake, it seems that the iPhone 5 launch may be pushed back to September as many companies who built parts for the iPhone are reported to be facing manufacturing problems.

In spite of this setback we may still see the launch of iOS 5 at WWDC and probably a bumped up version of the iPhone 4.

Q3 numbers lift HCL Tech by nearly 10 pc on bourses

IT firm HCL Technologies today surged by nearly 10 per cent in early trade on bourses after the company posted 33 IT firm HCL Technologies today surged by nearly 10 per cent in early trade on bourses after the company posted 33 per cent growth in net profit at Rs. 468.2 crore for the third quarter ended March 31.

The company had reported a net profit of Rs 350.3 crore in the same period a year-ago. Buoyed by the news, the scrip spurted by 9.82 per cent to a 52-week high of Rs 522.35 a piece on Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

Frenzied buying lifted the company stock on National Stock Exchange as well, where it jumped by 9.61 per cent to a year-high of Rs. 522.35. On the volume front, over 32 lakh shares of the company changed hands on the two bourses..

No frenzy crowds to buy BlackBerry tablet on launch

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion's PlayBook tablet, launched in Canada and the US Tuesday, received a lukewarm response.

Unlike frenzied crowds which lined up before Apple stores last year before the launch of the iPad, there was no rush to buy the BlackBerry tablet at major outlets here such as Best Buy and Future Shop just after its launch Tuesday morning.

Some stores opened early in downtown Toronto to sell RIM's first non-smart phone product.

Though they claimed to have received substantial numbers of pre-orders for the PlayBook, the frenzy was missing.

So-so pre-launch reviews have described the PlayBook as 'half baked' and RIM's attempt to catch up with Apple.

Analysts have predicted RIM to sell about 3.9 million PlayBooks in a tablet market which is estimated to reach 70 million units this year.

Apple's first-generation iPad sold over 15 million units last year and the iPad2 launched in March is doing even better.

RIM is targeting the PlayBook at its over 60 million BlackBerry subscribers as the Wi-Fi tablet will link with the BlackBerry smart phone through BlackBerry Bridge without the need to subscribe to a wireless carrier.

But those without the BlackBerry smart phones will not be able to access their email, contacts and calendar.

RIM says it will launch new PlayBook versions that run on wireless networks later this year.

The seven-inch, Wi-Fi-only PlayBook will be available in three models, featuring 16, 32 and 64 gigabytes of storage capacity, and in the price range of $499 to $699.

iPad app shows US library's Civil War images in 3D

A new iPad app developed from images from the Library of Congress is giving viewers a look at the Civil War in 3D.

The app is called "History 3D: Civil War."

It includes images from photographers such as Mathew Brady and Alexander Gardner.
The 3D images were created from the original glass-plate negatives held by the Library of Congress.

Matt Raymond, the library's former communications director, created the app and will donate the 3D images back to the library. He says many familiar Civil War images have a different look in 3D.

About 24 images are presented, along with pop-up commentary.

Other images from key Civil War battles and other events will be released later.

The app has been launched on iTunes and can be downloaded for $1.99.

Apple files suit against Samsung

Apple Inc. has sued Samsung Electronics Co., saying the South Korean company's Galaxy line of smartphones and tablet computers copy Apple's popular iPad and iPhone.

In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Apple alleges the product design, user interface and packaging of the Galaxy products "slavishly copy" Apple.

"When a Samsung Galaxy phone is used in public, there can be little doubt that it would be viewed as an Apple product based upon the design alone," Apple says in its lawsuit, which was filed on Friday.

Cupertino-based Apple is seeking an order barring Samsung from infringing on a variety of its patents and trademarks, as well as unspecified damages.

A Samsung spokesman said the company's products are the result of its own research and development. He says Samsung plans to defend itself against Apple's lawsuit.

Apple first released the iPhone in 2007, and has since upgraded the device several times. The company unveiled the iPad last year, and began selling the iPad 2 in March. The company had sold over 108 million iPhones and 19 million iPads, as well as more than 60 million of the iPod Touch, which is a digital music player that looks similar to the iPhone but can only access the Internet over Wi-Fi and cannot make cellular calls.

Samsung began selling the Galaxy smartphones and Galaxy Tab tablet computer in the U.S. last year, all of which run on Google's Android operating system. Samsung is the world's largest manufacturer of flat screen televisions, liquid crystal displays and computer memory chips. Its memory chips are used in the iPad.

"Samsung will respond actively to this legal action taken against us through appropriate legal measures to protect our intellectual property," Samsung spokesman Kim Titus said.

The lawsuit is the latest in a long string of patent disputes among phone makers trying to stake a claim on a slice of the rapidly growing smart phone market. Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp., Nokia Corp. and HTC Corp. and others have taken legal action to protect intellectual property in the last few years.

Update: Samsung has issued a statement in response to the legal action taken by Apple. In an emailed response, a Samsung spokesperson said, "Samsung's development of core technologies and strengthening our intellectual property portfolio are keys to our continued success. Samsung will respond actively to this legal action taken against us through appropriate legal measures to protect our intellectual property."

BlackBerry maker: UAE policy would apply to others

The maker of BlackBerry devices says tighter restrictions on the popular gadgets proposed by Emirati authorities would likely apply to other smartphones too, raising new questions about data freedom in the Gulf Arab nation.

The United Arab Emirates' telecommunications regulator has outlined plans to limit access to the Blackberry Enterprise Server system, which provides the most secure form of communication on the handheld devices. It is used by many international companies and government agencies to keep emails and other data safe.

Only organizations with 20 or more BlackBerry accounts would be allowed to use the service under the UAE's proposed new rules. Others would need to rely on a less-secure system that analysts say is easier for authorities to monitor and could cause accessibility problems for corporate users.

The proposed policy shift opens a new front in the Emirates' push to gain greater control over smartphone data. Barely six months ago, the federation backed down from a threat to impose a sweeping ban on the most popular BlackBerry services amid concerns about security.

"It seems very arbitrary. ... All I can think is that they're trying to address their security concerns by limiting the use of this more secure platform to larger companies and organizations," said Matthew Reed, a Dubai-based analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media, a research firm. "It will inconvenience quite a few people" who work for smaller companies and branch offices, he said.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority on Saturday sought to assure customers that all BlackBerry services will continue. But it has not explicitly backed down from plans to limit access to the most secure service.

Research in Motion Ltd., the Canadian company that makes BlackBerrys, said in an emailed statement Sunday it has been in contact with the regulator and understands that other smartphone makers could also face new restrictions.

"The TRA has confirmed to RIM that any potential policy regarding enterprise services in the UAE would be an industrywide policy applying equally to all enterprise solution providers," the company said.

In the telecom industry, the term enterprise generally refers to company phones often tied to a corporate email account. RIM said it understands the new UAE policies would aim to avoid affecting "legitimate enterprise customers."

The TRA did not reply to a request for clarification Sunday.

RIM built its reputation on the security of its enterprise system, which routes encrypted data traffic through corporate computers typically stored abroad. That makes it extremely difficult to monitor.

It also sells BlackBerry devices to consumers who can access email through a less-secure system known as the BlackBerry Internet Service, which runs over the regular Internet.

"There is still some encryption. It is just not regarded as being as strong as the security on the BES," Reed said.

Other smartphone manufacturers, including Motorola Inc. and iPhone maker Apple Inc., are starting to win enterprise customers. But none has managed to unseat RIM in the UAE, where the BlackBerry remains the phone of choice among foreign professionals and affluent citizens alike.

The federation of just over 8 million people has at least 500,000 BlackBerry users.

The UAE's smartphone policies have been closely watched since last summer when it threatened to shut off BlackBerry messaging, email and Web browsing services partly because of security concerns. It backed off the plan in October.

Critics said the effort also aimed to keep a closer eye on political activism in the federation. Although the UAE has seen none of the widespread unrest roiling other parts of the Arab world, authorities have detained at least three activists calling for democratic reforms in recent days.

In 2009, the Emirates' leading state-run phone company, Etisalat, was caught instructing BlackBerry customers to download spy software that could allow outsiders to peer inside. It misled users by describing the software as a required service upgrade.

Quiet and brilliant, Taiwan's HTC is smartphone star

Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC has risen to global prominence by transforming itself from a contract maker into a viable brand, one of the toughest feats in the fiercely competitive hi-tech industry.

"Quietly Brilliant" is the motto adorning HTC's advertisements and quietly, brilliantly it has managed to grow and grow, until recently it stunned the industry by becoming as big as Nokia.

"Today HTC is synonymous with smartphones," said Wang Ying-Yu, a research manager at Industrial Technology Research Institute, a think-tank in the city of Hsinchu in northern Taiwan.

"It has been more successful than any other company in Taiwan at pulling off the difficult task of building a brand," he said.

HTC's market value is now around $33 billion, about the same level as Nokia and surpassing Blackberry maker Research In Motion's (RIM's) $28 billion, according to analysts.

HTC has also set several records in Taiwan, and was listed as the most profitable company last year, while co-founder and chairwoman Cher Wang is currently the island's richest person.

Like many Taiwanese firms, HTC started as a contract manufacturer for major foreign brands such as Microsoft and only began developing its own brand of handsets in 2006.

The theory sounds nice, learn the ropes, then launch your own product, but so far only a handful of elite Taiwan companies such as computer maker Acer have managed to get it right.

"Others who tried ended up hurting themselves and typically saw their shares fall by half," Wang said.

Not HTC. It is now the world's fifth largest smartphone maker by shipment after Nokia, Apple, RIM and Samsung, and it can challenge Apple's market share in Europe and Asia, analysts said.

Momentum is further boosted by first quarter results, which saw its unaudited net profit nearly triple from the same period last year to Tw$14.83 billion ($510 million) while revenue surged 174 per cent to Tw$104.16 billion.

This year HTC boss Wang, the 52-year-old daughter of late industrialist Wang Yung-ching, was crowned Taiwan's richest person by Forbes magazine, which estimated the combined wealth of her and husband Chen Wen-chi at $6.8 billion.

"Cher Wang is more like a spiritual leader of the company. She has a good eye for talent and she supports and trusts her professional management team," Wang said.

Analysts said HTC's close partnership with telecom operators and Google has given it an edge in the business. HTC was the first to make devices powered by Android, which is now adopted by LG, Motorola, Samsung and Sony.

"HTC is in time for the rise of smartphones and it is riding the boom of Google's Android," said Luke Lin, an analyst at Taiwan's IT journal Digitimes.

Android is the most popular operating system for mobile devices, and technology research firm Gartner expects it to have 38.5 per cent of the market by the end of 2011, ahead of the 19.4 per cent for iOS for Apple's iPhone.

"It is going to be even better for HTC this year although it faces growing challenges for market share," said Lin. He estimated shipments to almost double from last year to about 50 to 55 million units.

"This year will see... these same (Android) vendors broaden and deepen their portfolios to reach more customers, particularly first-time smartphone users," said Ramon Llamas, a researcher at International Data Corp.

The company has also jumped onto the tablet bandwagon with its first tablet, Flyer, due to go on sale in the second quarter, although analysts said it was too early to say how it could contribute to the bottom line.

"We view this more as a product to test the market. We tend to believe tablets may not be a near-term value driver for HTC," said a recent Morgan Stanley report. It forecast fewer than two million shipped in 2011.

Underscoring the intense rivalry between smartphone makers is an on-going dispute between HTC and Apple, which have accused each other of patent infringement and appealed to the US International Trade Commission to bar the other's products.

"An unfavourable ruling will certainly impact its (HTC's) operations," said Lin of Digitimes.