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  • VoX Communications Partners with LightSquared to Launch Mobile Voice and Video Services

    LightSquared, a nationwide wireless broadband network, announced that it has signed a multi-year wholesale agreement with VoIP provider VoX Communications. VoX is culminating its strategy to add mobile functionality to its existing IP network platform by launching new mobile services and applications, including voice and video, on LightSquared's network.

    VoX has also informed that it plans to offer high-speed data and satellite services to its existing and new customers. According to the company, the combination of wholesale economics and business model, open platform, 4G–LTE network and growing device ecosystem is the key reason why VoX chose to partner with LightSquared to deliver its innovative services.

    "We've been closely following the rapid increase in mobile VoIP users, and determining how our company could take advantage of this new reality," said Mark Richards, president and chief information officer of VoX. "We believe that the LightSquared network and business model are creating a transformative moment for the industry, and will allow us to expand our portfolio so we can deliver a broad range of affordable and innovative mobile services to our customers."

    Sanjiv Ahuja, chairman and CEO of LightSquared, said: "When we think of the types of partners that would benefit from the LightSquared network, VoX Communications comes to mind. VoX is already redefining VoIP performance and services, and we look forward to helping them do the same with a new portfolio of innovative wireless services."

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  • Amazon All-Inclusive. How the Company Wants to Promote Its Kindle Tablet

    Amazon tries to rethink their offers in order to make their products more attractive, given that the competition becomes fiercer. According to Wall Street Journal, with the launch of its first color tablet, Amazon might introduce a featured package that will allow users, in exchange for a $ 79/yr fee, to have access to the books from Book Store, to listen to music using the Cloud Player offer and to access movies from Amazon Instant Movie.

    Moreover, Amazon is developing other applications designed to cut ground from under Netflix’s feet, one of its main rival.

    According to WSJ, the subscription will be paid monthly and will allow unlimited access to Amazon services. Sources quoted by the newspaper say that publishers would be very excited about the idea of unlimited access to the Book Store, considering that the book prices differ and that introducing a general tax could depreciate the value of books.

    The new tablet, called simple Kindle, like Amazon’s e-readers series, would be launched, probably, in October this year. Amazon is counting on the gadget’s success especially because the price is very competitive – only $250, the same as Barnes & Noble's Nook Color.

    The tablet, full-color with 7-inch multi-touch capacitive display, will run a modified version of Android 2.2, named Kindle OS. According to Techcrunch.com, which tested a prototype version of the tablet – DVT (Design Verification Testing), the tablet does not excel in terms of hardware. It has a single core processor, only 8 GB storage capacity, no photo or video camera and features only Wi-Fi connectivity, but excels in chapter software.

    Techcrounch.com predicts that Amazon could also launch, in the first quarter of 2012, an improved version of Kindle that will have a dual-core processor and a 10-inch touchscreen.

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    Google Supplies HTC with Ammunition for the Battle Against Apple
    Samsung Presents Galaxy Note
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  • Google Supplies HTC with Ammunition for the Battle Against Apple

    The legal war Apple bears with the biggest manufacturers of touchscreen mobile devices could take a new turn, after Google, the giant behind the most popular operating system for smartphones and tablets – Android – decided to help its customers by providing certain invention patents with which the companies can challenge Apple in court, writes Bloomberg.

    Google has transferred a package of nine patents in the property of the Taiwanese manufacturer, HTC, on which the Asian company has initiated a legal action against Apple. Google declined to comment on the reasons why they had made that transfer.

    Analysts consider that the move represents a new step in the fight which now bears in courts among the big companies. Google, which has been criticized before that it stood aside, while its partners that were using Android were being hit in court by Apple, decided to take a more active role in the fight on the so-called touchscreen market, considered as one of the most competitive.

    Recently, the company that owns the most popular internet search engine has announced that it intends to expand its patents portfolio in order to protect themselves against the legal actions concerning the theft of technology. Google faces in this race a strong competition from the same Apple.

    Google's decision to transfer the patents to HTC comes shortly after Apple acquired, from a German court, a blocking in sales of Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, on the basis of infringement of some invention patents on the hardware side. Apple has also filed lawsuits to its rivals HTC and Motorola.

    Android, the operating system developed by Google for both tablets and smartphones, has supremacy in this segment with a market share of about 50%.

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  • Apple Strikes Again: Galaxy Tab 7.7 Out From IFA

    The war Apple takes against Samsung is reaching a new milestone: the tablet Galaxy Tab 7.7, presented last week at IFA 2011, has been removed from Samsung’s stand after a court order, the reason being violation of patents owned by Apple.

    The Court in Dusseldorf, the same that has also decided to ban Galaxy Tab 10.1, was the decision-maker in this case.

    Apple has legally obtained an order according to which Samsung is prohibited from marketing and promoting this product.

    James Chung, a spokesman for Samsung Seoul declined to comment on the court decision, but said that Samsung will respect the legal order, despite the fact that it is severely limiting the consumer. Furthermore, the company will defend itself in court.

    Samsung and Apple have been in disputes over time, because Apple claims that the Galaxy products from Samsung are copying their iPad and iPhone. Just a month ago, the court from Dusseldorf has temporarily banned Samsung to promote their Galaxy Tab 10.1 in 26 out of the 27 EU member states. The first trial in this series took place in April, in the United States.

    The legal order received late last week comes with losses of over half the units, according to Strategy Analytics. In the first quarter, Samsung had a market share of 16%, well below the iPhone's 69%.

    Galaxy Tab 7.7 has been released last week in Berlin. The first tablet in the world with Super AMOLED screen resolution of 1280X800 has a thickness of 7.89 mm, weighs 335 grams and comes equipped with a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor and 1GB RAM. The tablet is running Android 3.2 Honeycomb and has WiFi, HSPA + 21 Mbps and 2 cameras of 2 and 3 megapixels, respectively.

    Samsung had no details about the price of the tablet and when it will arrive in stores.

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  • Samsung Presents Galaxy Note

    Samsung has introduced on Thursday at the IFA 2011 fair, in Berlin, the new Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone, a huge device with a 5.3-inch touchscreen, which reminds of "the deceased" Dell Streak 5.

    Galaxy Note has a Super AMOLED touchscreen display with a resolution of 1280×800 pixels. "It is the biggest and has the highest quality display of the smartphone industry," said JK Shin, President of the Mobile Communications Business Division of Samsung.

    The phone comes with a 1.4GHz processor, running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, has two cameras, one of 8 megapixels and the other of 2 megapixels, especially designed for conferences. The phone has a battery of 2500 mAh.

    Despite the screen size, the phone weighs only 178 grams. Interestingly, Samsung has equipped this new smartphone with a stylus, which reminds of the phones seen in the past years. Samsung did not provide information about the phone's release date or price.

    Who has the biggest phone?
    If Dell gave up, without comment, the production of the Streak 5, despite the fact that the phone was not moving bad at all, the other big players in the industry scrambling to develop such terminals.
    Sony has announced on Wednesday, in Berlin, the phone-tablet – Tablet P – with two screens, both of 5.5 inches, while Acer is preparing this month, the launch of their new phone Iconium Smart, 4.8-inch touchscreen, 1.1GHz Snapdragon 8255 processor, 512 MB RAM and 512 MB ROM, storage capacity of 8 GB and micro SDHC card slot. Acer seems convinced that on the market is enough room for the smartphones with over 4 inches screens, in fact, a kind of mini-tablets.

    Will Acer, Sony and Samsung succeed to convince consumers that such big smartphones can be a better choice than a tablet? It remains to be seen.

    Further reading:

  • Apple Falls While Samsung and Android Take the Lead in USA

    Google and Samsung have managed to surpass Apple and its products, iOS, iPhone and iPad, ok the U.S. market, as the latest statistics are showing.

    Out of the 82 million Americans who own a smartphone, most devices (41.8%) are running the Android operating system developed by Google. Apple, with its IOS, ranked second with a market share of 27%, while the third place was occupied by Research in Motion (21.7%), with the operating system designed for their Blackberry.

    Interestingly, while Google gained 5.4% since April 2011, Apple's share grew by only 1%, and RIM has lost 4%. The last two places in the ranking are occupied by Microsoft and Symbian, which have 5.7% and 1.9%, respectively, of the market share.

    Samsung, market leader

    In the smartphones brands rankings, on the first place is Samsung, with a slightly increased market share compared to April 2011, from 24.5% to 25.5%. In second place is LG, which has stagnated at 20.9%, while the third place is occupied by Motorola with a decrease in the market share of 1.5%, from 15.6% to 14.1%. Apple was ranked only the fourth, with a market share increased by 1.2%, from 8.3% to 9.5%. The top is completed by RIM with a share down by 0.6%, from 8.2 to 7.6%.

    SMS, vital for Americans

    Another interesting ranking shows that the Americans are using the phone, beyond the calls, mainly to send text messages, in 70% of the cases. The percentage of those who surf the internet on their smartphone has increased from 39.1% to 41.1% and just the same as the percentage of those who download applications, up from 37.8% to 40.6%.
    The study shows, on the other hand, that 30.1% of the Americans who own a mobile phone are accessing social networks and blogs, 27.8% are playing games on the phone, while 20.3% are listening to music.

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  • Samsung Announces Galaxy S II LTE, With 1.5GHz Processor and Larger Screen and the new ChatOn Service

    Samsung has officially announced the versions equipped with the LTE 4G technology of its Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone, but also of its Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9.

    Beyond the higher speed of data transfer, Samsung’s new Galaxy S II comes with very important changes to the standard version, such as the more powerful dual core processor, at 1.5 GHz.

    The screen of the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE has also increased from 4.3 inches to a WVGA Super AMOLED Plus of 4.5 inches. The casing has also suffered several modifications. Its textured back, made of plastic, seems to have been replaced by a metal surface, while the form of Home key is also different.

    Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE will also offer higher data transfer speed in the network and will come, as in the case of Galaxy S II LTE, with a better processor – a 1.5GHz dual core.

    While more details about the new Samsung gadgets will definitely be disclosed during the IFA 2011, we should turn our attention to another announcement Samsung has made today, namely the launch of free communication service that allows users to interact with any mobile phone.

    Samsung Electronics has launched today the ChatOn application, a global communication service of Samsung, compatible with most of the current smartphones and platforms. ChatOn allows users to interact with anyone regardless of the platform used by the phone. Users can form groups of conversation, while the Web client will provide an easy data transfer and conversations between smartphones and PCs.

    ChatOn is available in over 120 countries and in over 62 languages and presents two function options. The baseline option is available for those who prefer an easy use, allowing them to share text, images, events and contacts.

    This service will be launched progressively for the main types of smartphones, tablets, notebooks and phones that are currently available on market, including future devices presented at IFA 2011.

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  • Grid OS Coming to Capture the Mobile Market?

    Many players entered into this market and failed to gain the upper hand over the hugely successful iPhone. Still, Android stands its well earned ground and still gives good competition to Apple and its iOS based products. Apple’s real success is very well grounded in its operating system iOS and applications support from the App Store. Google does the same with Android and the Android Store, but it is an accepted fact that Android is not as economically strong as iOS. Some other participants in this mobile OS arms race are BlackBerry OS, WebOS, Symbian, Windows Phone 7 and some more in their own niche and playing their cards for (local) dominance.

    The latest operating systems that are coming up with big flashing neon lights are MeeGo and the newly announced Grid OS. MeeGo is not a new thing and is an open source platform. Used to have Nokia support… No more.

    Fusion Garage (sadly well known for a lawsuit fight with TechCrunch's Michael Arrington) brings Grid OS, a completely new player entering into the arena with zero fan niches. The OS base is not completely new since it is Android based, armed with a new and shiny interface. This is the bonus point for Grid OS, you can use Android apps natively. Of course, this was the whole point of Google's open sourcing Android: competition.

    What makes special Grid OS? The home screen of this latest OS is quite nice and captivating. Definitely, it is quite intriguing after using iOS devices and other Android based devices. The flexibility is its capacity to group applications and expand or collapse each group according to the needs of the user. Designers are still tweaking this from an usability point of view, but it looks and feels gorgeous.

    It is a completely gesture based OS. Removing capacitive buttons is making the OS more interesting. Windows Phone 7 works through dynamic tiles and its interaction for the user is very far from the flowing feeling of Grid OS. Only time will tell if Grid OS stands its ground or disappears into mediocrity (or oblivion).

    Further reading:

  • OFFICIAL: Nokia Announces Symbian Belle Along With Three New Smartphones

    Although the news of a new update for Symbian OS, called Belle, has come to our years since Monday, only today has officially been announced by Nokia. But with this announcement, has also come another one of three new smartphones that comes with this OS: Nokia 600, Nokia 700 and Nokia 701. All three are scheduled to appear in the third quarter of this year, which means that we will find them in stores soon.

    The new software brings three new homescreens, doubling up the area the widgets and the shortcuts can be spread, a drop-down menu for notifications and quick access to functions such as turning on the WiFi antenna, support for the NFC technology (also present on Symbian Anna) and software updates directly from the phone. Probably you’ll be amused to see that this update looks like a custom Android skin, which is not such a bad thing for Nokia, thus bringing the Symbian software closer to a modern operating system.

    If we talked a bit about software, let’s say few words about the new handsets, starting with Nokia 700. This one has a 1GHz processor, 3.2-inch AMOLED “ClearBlack display, Gorilla Glass protected, a 5-megapixel camera, pent band antenna, a battery providing 7.3 hours of talk and a design made of recycled materials. The price of this phone will be $ 390.

    Nokia 701 will include a slightly larger display, of 3.5 inches, based on the IPS technology. Also, this display is part of the “ClearBlack” range and is protected by Gorilla Glass. The same 1 GHz processor is also used in the 701 model, but the camera offers a higher resolution, of 8 megapixels and also has a flash with two leds. A camera on the front of the phone is also included, along with an NFC chip. Its internal memory is only 8 GB, but can be increased to 40 through the microSD slot. The battery is also more powerful, Nokia praising this terminal with 17 hours of talk on 2G and 8.8 on 3G calls. The suggested retail price for this phone will be $ 420.

    In the end we talk about the Nokia 600, which is a multimedia-based phone. It includes a 3.2-inch display nHD, 1 GHz processor, 5-megapixel camera (which also shoots in 720p), NFC, FM transmitter and receiver and also 2 GB of internal memory. The phone also has a microSD slot, and is the "noisy" phone company. The battery of this terminal is not that bad, Nokia announcing 15 hours of talk autonomy. Price for the 600 model of the Finnish manufacturer is $ 240.

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  • Samsung To Launch Four New Galaxy Smartphones

    The four phones are called Galaxy M Pro, Galaxy W, Galaxy Y and Galaxy Y Pro.

    • Galaxy W is for those who want fast devices, having a 1.4 GHz processor and 14.4 Mbps HSDPA connectivity. The phone has a touch screen of 9.4 inches.
    • Galaxy M Pro is addressed especially to those who want to socialize because of the QWERTY keyboard that allows the access to contacts and fast editing of documents and messages.
    • Galaxy Y is a device that targets young consumers. This one includes Samsung Social Hub, which allows users to stay connected in their online social circles.
    • Galaxy Y Pro is equipped with a QWERTY keyboard, the smartphone address to young professionals seeking to easily manage their professional, but also personal life. Users can stay connected to Social Hub Premium that allows emails, social networks integration and instant messaging.

    Additionally, the company changed the method of naming smartphones, the new structure grouping all devices in five classes identified by a letter of the alphabet. The devices will then be appointed to an additional indicator that will define a specific function.

    The new names are:

    • S (super smart),
    • R (royal / refined),
    • W (wonder),
    • M (Magic) and
    • Y (Young).

    Also, additional qualificators are:

    • Pro (when the device includes QWERTY keyboard)
    • Plus (the phone is the upgraded version of an existing model)
    • LTE (the phone can use the LTE connectivity (Long-Term Evolution), a 4G standard through which the mobile Internet speed can reach 100 Mbps, five times higher than today).

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