Monday, January 10, 2011
After enduring months of rumors about competition for the iPhone, AT&T Inc. executives are finally about to face their moment of truth.
On Tuesday, Verizon Wireless is expected to announce that it is getting the Apple Inc. phone around the end of the month, people familiar with the matter have said, ending AT&T's three-and-a-half-year exclusive run with the iconic device.
The announcement will kick off a battle as the two carriers fight to lure defectors and win over new customers. AT&T is expected to run new ads that will highlight what the carrier says are the iPhone's greater speed and better functioning on its network, a person familiar with the matter said.
Verizon Wireless declined to comment but has previously said its network is more reliable.
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Reuters
AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega says his network has been preparing for years for the loss of exclusivity for Apple's iPhone.
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Beyond marketing, AT&T has taken other steps to prepare for losing exclusivity. It beefed up its investment budget last year to improve the quality of its oft-criticized network, rolled out a slate of new devices, cut the price of older iPhones and accelerated upgrades to new iPhones to lock more customers into long-term contracts.
Ralph de la Vega, chief executive of AT&T's wireless business, said the company has been preparing to lose its exclusive hold on the iPhone for a number of years and welcomes the competition.
"We are ready for it," Mr. de la Vega in an interview Monday. "The short- and long-term viability of AT&T will be good whether we have exclusivity or not. We are much bigger than this."
Last summer, when Apple released the iPhone 4, AT&T allowed any iPhone customer who would be eligible for an upgrade at some point in 2010 to immediately trade up to the new device as long as they signed up for a new two-year contract.
The tactic appears to have had some success. Credit Suisse estimates that AT&T will have 18.4 million iPhone subscribers at the end of 2010, of which 15.9 million, or 86%, will be under contract.
Morgan Schmit, 20, of Moberly, Mo., said her AT&T service is fine back home, but it suffered when she lived in New York City this summer. Although she plans to move to New York permanently, she won't be switching to Verizon any time soon.
"I just got this one so I'm stuck with a two-year contract," she said.
Sales estimates vary, but analysts think Verizon will likely sell seven million to 13 million iPhones this year.
Credit Suisse analyst Jonathan Chaplin estimates Verizon will sign up 9.6 million iPhone subscribers through 2012, and that 1.3 million of them will be defectors from AT&T, which had 67.7 million contract subscribers at the end of September.
A Consumer Reports survey last year ranked Verizon first and AT&T last in terms of network quality for major carriers.
New York City resident Bella Vellaguerre, 25, said that she was happy with her iPhone service until this past summer, when dropped calls became more frequent. She even decided to forgo an upgrade to the iPhone 4 this summer, because she didn't want to renew her contract with AT&T.
Now, with the Verizon iPhone on the way, she's considering a switch.
"I'm giving AT&T the benefit of the doubt, but if this does continue, I will switch," said Ms. Vellaguerre, who is a student at New York University.
Madison Avenue could be among the winners when AT&T and Verizon go head to head. The country's top two carriers are also among the biggest advertising spenders in the country.
In 2009, for example, AT&T spent $1.5 billion in the U.S. to pitch its wireless devices and services, while Verizon shelled out $1.8 billion on wireless ads, according to Kantar Media, an ad-tracking firm owned by WPP PLC.
During the first 10 months of 2010, each spent about $1.2 billion, according to Kantar.
"People are so excited about Verizon having the iPhone, AT&T has to respond," says Dean Crutchfield, chief engagement officer of brand agency Method. "I expected AT&T to go big with advertising especially in major markets such as New York, where they have had issues. The cards are stacked against AT&T, because people have been waiting for Verizon to get this phone for so long, but AT&T has to protect itself."
—Suzanne Vranica contributed to this article
Monday, January 10, 2011 0
‘Innovation’ seems to have just got a bigger definition. Lenovo has just revealed its new IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook with a pioneering detachable screen. Exquisitely designed, this latest laptop offers two PCs in one device itself, each with its own operating system and processor.
Emphasizing on elegance, the notebook marks a smaller footprint in trendy scarlet red exterior. It has an amazing 3.8 pound weight for complete flexibility. The exclusive detach-and-converge pattern empowers users to effortlessly remove the screen and quickly switch to a multitouch slate tablet from clamshell mode. Its six-section screen display improves users’ overall mobile Internet experience since it renders multitouch access to several Web-based applications.
In its conventional clamshell form, the device flaunts an 11.6” HD LED screen and is powered by Windows 7. After the 1.6 pound multitouch screen is taken out, the newly found slate runs on a powerful ARM processor and Lenovo’s Skylight OS. Each mode, the laptop and tablet, supports over five hours of 3G Web browsing and sixty hours of 3G standby time.
The two stereo speakers featuring incorporated microphone boast of echo cancellation. Users can easily video call using the integrated video camera. These two devices can be synched together to work as one for further simplicity. The Battery power, 3G wireless, and data and documents can thus be accessed and shared on both the parts of the device. Thanks to Lenovo’s Hybrid Switch technology, these PCs are tailored to work together as well as independently.
The newest Lenovo IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook is anticipated to be available beginning June 1 for $999 (approx Rs. 45,300).
Touch screens do not prick our interest anymore, not for the last three years when the technology appeared (or was imbedded) in almost all types of mobile devices, including PCs. Last year was a blast for this tech animal, and we can only rue the fact that we constantly have sweaty hands.
But while waiting for a sweat-proof touch screen device, Acer delivered something to the MB Technews lab that had us salivating as our editor unboxed the package.
And there, staring at us in all its twin-screen glory, is Acer's ICONIA -- the first in the country.
The ICONIA is a new concept device that combinines the versatility of a conventional 14” form factor with a unique dual-screen layout, and highly intuitive all-point, multi-touch functionality.
With its two all-point, multi-touch displays, Acer ICONIA offers an enhanced content consumption experience and brings the interaction with the tablet to a new level. Multimedia, entertainment, communication, web browsing and office productivity seamlessly flow across the two screens.
So if you wanted a better read and surf of web sites or documents, simply spread the window across both screens. Of course, the dual screen also means you can do one thing in one screen and something else entirely on the other: you can browse a website on the top screen and view the contents of your favourite folder on the bottom one, or you can watch a video on the top screen and check out your multimedia library in the other.
This is not of a futuristic movie, this is now. This is the Acer ICONIA.
Both 14-inch displays have HD 1366x768 resolution, high-brightness Acer CineCrystal LED-backlit TFT LCDs and some cutting-edge technologies supporting all-point, multi-touch for that precise on-screen input. Protected by the ultra-thin yet durable Gorilla Glass, the displays are scratch and fingerprint resistant, easier to clean and offer the same touch functionality.
For an optimal all-point, multi-touch experience on a dual-display tablet, Acer equipped the ICONIA with a full range of intuitive and easy to use features and applications that fully exploit the countless possibilities of multi-touch technology.
The starting point to launch ICONIA’s touch featuresand controls as well as applications is the Acer Ring. The Acer Ring appears simply by placing five fingers on the screen and making a grab gesture. The Acer Ring allows you to start touch applications by scrolling through the App cards and tapping on the one you choose. The Ring also provides fast access to: Virtual Keyboard, Gesture Editor, Window Manager, and Device Control Console.
The Virtual Keyboard can be launched from the Acer Ring or by placing both palms on the bottom display. The intelligent design senses the position of the user’s palms and launches the keyboard. It comes with a full-size QWERTY layout with international language support to give users the same experience of a traditional physical keyboard.
The Virtual Keyboard also includes a touchpad and a numeric keypad and can be easily switched to handwriting mode.
With the Gesture Editor you can set customized gestures to launch specific applications, open websites, view your desktop or lock your computer.Window Manager allows users to organize the various application windows on thedouble touch screen.applications.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
CES 2011 was surely not the big Google TV event many would have predicted a month ago, but Google is making subtle progress to build its army of supporters.
Samsung GoogleTV Blu-ray box. Not pretty, but hey, it's a start.
Following Vizio, Samsung also said that it will soon be offering a networked Blu-ray player that will integrate Google TV functionality. The device will include a “full QWERTY keyboard”, Samsung said. There was no pricing information available, but we know that the box will make its way into U.S. retail during the first half of this year.
Interestingly, Samsung did not announce a smart TV that actually comes with Google TV right away. Could this be a cautious move? It could, but we do not know. What we do know, however, is that Logitech has apparently not received a note from Google to hold back the Revue Google TV set top box. In fact, a company source said that Logitech was simply sold out.
Google TV is still a product that could swing either way for Google. The hardware support is definitely there and strong enough to embarrass Apple’s Apple TV sales. Vizio and Samsung could become two strong players that could cause more than just a headache for Apple – as both have already in the market what Apple needs: A real TV business. However, Google TV’s problem is that it simply has not enough content. Just because Google TV has Google in its name will not be enough for Google to succeed.
It will need to find ways to work with Hollywood to get more content and avoid a scenario similar to Intel’s Viiv. Announced in 2006, Viiv was canceled later that year, as it emphasized the Pc over the TV experience and lacked interesting content.
Sunday, January 9, 2011 0
Friday, January 7, 2011
SEOUL (Dow Jones)--Samsung Electronics Co. (KSE), the world's largest maker of flat-screen televisions by shipments, said Saturday that it is reviewing making a television set running on Google Inc.'s (GOOG) Android operating system.
"We are still reviewing whether we will make the Google TV set or not," Samsung Electronics' Visual Display President B.K. Yoon told reporters in Seoul.
Another executive at the company said Samsung is always ready to collaborate with the search engine giant in any areas, where both parties can "win-win."
The latest remarks are part of the Korean electronics maker's efforts to fatten up its television offerings, especially smart TVs, which the company is banking on to bolster profits and fend off price erosions sparked by the global economic slowdown and severe price rivalry in the TV industry.
Samsung is planning to launch a new Blu-ray player and a set-top box enabling Google TV. The devices will allow users to surf the Internet on their TV screens, check emails, and build-up social networks just like computers and smartphones, the company said.
On Friday, Yoon said the Korean company aims to sell a total of 45 million flat-screen televisions this year, up 15% from the 39 million units sold last year. Of the total, it plans to ship 12 million units of smart TVs--around 27% of its total flat-panel TV sales--and to sell as many as 10 million units of three-dimensional TVs this year.
In 2010, Samsung sold 5 million smart TVs and 2 million 3-D TVs.
Google's software platform has been gaining ground fast and its share in the global platform area that once was heavily dominated by iPhone maker Apple Inc. (AAPL) is rapidly increasing.
Some challenges remain. Google, which last year teamed up with Japan's Sony Corp. (6758.TO) and developed a new Web-connected TV powered by Google's operating system, has asked some manufacturers to hold back on product announcements after receiving negative reviews.
Friday, January 7, 2011 0
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Google has been an early and consistent supporter of email authentication technologies, which help ensure senders are who they say they are, and in turn help to curb spam. Since we launched Gmail in 2004, we have supported email-signing standards such as DomainKeys and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) to help validate outbound mail with digital signatures. On the inbound side, to help our users identify email from verified senders, in 2008 we worked with eBay and PayPal to authenticate their mail with DKIM and block all unsigned messages purportedly from those companies destined for Gmail users.
But the spam and phishing epidemics aren’t letting up – every day Gmail filters out billions of unwanted messages from our users’ inboxes – so we’ve been focused on creating helpful tools and working with the email industry to bring solutions that will help our customers. Email authentication is an important mechanism to verify senders’ identities, giving users a tool to recognize potential spam messages. In addition, many mail systems can display whether a received message is DKIM-verified, which helps spam filters verify and assess the overall reputation of the sender’s domain: messages from untrusted senders are treated more skeptically than those from good senders.
Today, we mark another notch in the spam-fighting belt: we’re making it possible for all Google Apps customers to sign their outgoing messages with DKIM, so their sent mail is less likely to get caught up in recipients’ spam filters. Google Apps is the first major email platform – including on-premises providers – to offer simple DKIM signing at no extra cost. Once again, the power of the cloud has made it possible for us to bring this feature to millions of customers quickly and affordably.
Starting today, all Google Apps administrators can enable DKIM signing in the “Advanced Tools” tab of the control panel. As more email providers around the world support DKIM signing, spam fighters will have an even more reliable signal to separate unwanted mail from good mail. We’re pleased to let millions more organizations use DKIM with this improvement.
Thursday, January 6, 2011 0
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
LG plans to sell the 8.9-inch tablet, based on Google's forthcoming Android version of Honeycomb, in the next few months through the fourth-largest U.S. mobile carrier before launching the delayed product globally.
The South Korean firm said ahead of a joint announcement on Thursday with T-Mobile USA, a unit of Deutsche Telekom, that the device will be branded as the T-Mobile G-Slate and uses Nvidia's dual core processor.
Toshiba is also set to show off a 10-inch tablet running on Honeycomb this week at the Consumer Electronics Show, making its foray into the tablet war.
Global tablet sales are expected to explode to more than 50 million in 2011, as rivals including Research In Motion Ltd and Hewlett-Packard Co launch new devices.
Apple, which sold more than 12 million iPads in 2010, according to analysts' estimates, is expected to dominate the market in the near term. Rival tablets that have already launched from companies like Samsung Electronics Co and Dell have not been able to beat Apple on price point.
Tablets and smartphones are key for LG to revive its loss-making handset business, ranked the world's third largest.
Its mobile division reported a record loss in July-September, hit by a weak lineup of smartphones and growing development and marketing costs to prop up faltering sales of low-priced models.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011 0
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
BusinessWeek is reporting that Google is planning to launch a mobile-payment service based on near-field communication (NFC), enabling payment via cellphone at retailers.
Google joins several other companies with similar plans. Late last year, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Moble unveiled Isis, their own plan for NFC payments due in mid-2011, and eBay is said to be working on a system where phones could beam PayPal payments, also due later this year. NFC is a technology that communicates only over very short ranges—a matter of inches—and is built into very few phones currently on the market.
The report, based on anonymous sources, lines up with recent comments from Google CEO Eric Schmidt. "You'll be able to walk in a store and do commerce. You'd bump for everything and eventually replace credit cards," he said at a technology conference in November.
In addition, Google has made some acquisitions that would help with an NFC system. It recently snapped up Canadian startup Zetawire, which has a patent on combining a customer-loyalty system with a phone-based wallet. Google's venture-capital arm has also invested in Corduro, which develops mobile-payment systems.
Even though phones with NFC are a rarity, one of them is the Nexus S, an Android phone made by Samsung. Also, Gingerbread, the most recent version of Android for smartphones, has some NFC-specific features. Window stickers for Google Places, the company's recommendation engine, will have NFC tags built in.
Still, putting NFC tech in some posters and getting thousands of retailers to play along are two different things. The Isis partnership between three major mobile service providers is a powerful competitor in the race to bring NFC payments to the masses, though Google has relationships with those same companies to market its Android devices.
In all likelihood, the system that ultimately takes mobile payments mainstream will be a partnership between several companies. NFC technology has had several false starts in recent years, but it's seeing more interest from major corporations recently than ever before. 2011 could be its breakout year.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011 0
