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  • Flat-panel TV Price Falls Factor In LG Losses


    Pricing pressure for flat-panel TVs was among the factors given as LG Electronics reported a net loss for the fourth quarter, ended 31 December.

    On a parent-company basis, LG reported sales of USD $4.84 billion for the quarter, an operating loss of USD $228 million and a net loss of USD $493 million.

    In the fourth quarter of 2008, sales on a global basis rose 22.5 per cent year on year to USD $9.82 billion and operating profit was USD $74.2 million, resulting in a profit margin of 0.8 per cent.

    For fiscal year 2008, annual sales on a global basis rose 20.8 per cent to a record USD $36.2 billion with operating profit at USD $1.56 billion.

    By operating unit, LG’s digital display company sales rose to USD $3.39 billion, an increase of 16.4 per cent from a year earlier.

    Sales of flat-panel digital TVs grew 22 per cent year on year and 26 per cent quarter on quarter, but PDP module sales declined 44 per cent year on year and 24 per cent quarter on quarter.

    Globally, operating profit saw a loss of USD $10 million primarily due to a sharp drop in the prices of TVs and slowdown in external sales of PDP modules.

    The company said it sees global demand in 2009 to be similar to 2008 as a result of growing low-end/small sized flat-panel TV demand in emerging markets and expects to expand its market share with stronger branding activities and product lineup.

  • Final Chance to Nominate HDTV Person/Product Of The Year


    The new year may well be firmly underway but there’s still plenty of time to submit your nominations and votes for hdtv.biz-news’ 2008 Man and Product of the Year awards.

    With voting expected to be close in both award categories there’s plenty of opportunity for latecomers to make their mark.

    In the product section, submissions can be made for any hardware launched in 2008 that has particularily impressed.

    Alternatively, nominations can be made for anything else HDTV-related – from content providers to software applications.

    For the Person of the Year, there can be no shortage of likely candidates – whether its an innovative industry leader or a colleague who made waves in 2008.

    But please don’t delay – we need your product or person nominations before the end of January.

  • WinMo And Mobile Services Microsoft


    Interest continues to grow over Microsoft’s intentions for next month’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

    Among the expectations are an update to its mobile software and services strategy.

    This could extend to the unveiling of three mobile services:

    • SkyBox to synchronize a phone’s information with the web
    • SkyLine to synchronize with Microsoft Exchange servers
    • SkyMarket – a mobile marketplace.

    If they take place, the announcements will set them up against Apple’s MobileMe and App Store.

    Microsoft is also expected to reveal the latest update of Windows Mobile – version 6.5 – at the telco show.

    The first tranche of WinMo 6.5-based devices could then be available in the third quarter of the year.

  • South Korea's KT Absorbs Mobile Unit In Battle For customers


    South Korea’s fixed-line operator, Korea Telecom (KT), is to merge with its majority-owned mobile unit, KTF, the country’s second-largest mobile operator.

    The merger is an effort to offer bundled fixed and mobile services and increase its global exposure.

    KT’s move is seen as necessary if it is to compete with SK Telecom and LG Telecom.

    South Korea’s mobile and household broadband markets are approaching saturation and operators in the country are battling for customers.

    This has led to the offering of products bundling fixed-line, broadband, Internet TV and mobile services.

    The deal ends months of speculation and will see KT absorb the mobile unit, of which it owns 54 per cent.

    NTT DoCoMo, Japan’s largest mobile operator, also owns 11 per cent of KTF.

    The terms of the deal mean KTF shareholders will receive 0.719 of a KT share for every KTF share they own.

    KT is also to sell USD $253 million bonds exchangeable into its stocks to DoCoMo as part of the merger plan.

    The Japanese firm will transfer 60 per cent of its holding in KTF to KT.

  • Will GPS-enabled Smartphones Avoid Handset Slowdown?


    Demand for GPS-enabled mobile phones will slow in 2009 but will avoid the fall in shipments expected to affect handsets generally.

    At least that’s what ABI Research is predicting. It forecasts that feature-rich smartphones will post year-to-year unit growth through the current economic downturn.

    For 2009 that translates into a climb in shipments GPS-enabled phones to 240 million units, an increase of 6.4 per cent over 2008.

    This contrasts with a drop of 4—5 per cent for global handset shipments generally in 2009, according to a study by the researchers.

    For the period through to 2014, the analysts suggest demand for smartphones will increase at an average annual unit shipment rate of 19 per cent.

    ABI says this "surprising performance" will be driven by the ongoing demand for feature-rich smartphones, including the Apple iPhone 3G, RIM’s BlackBerry devices and Nokia N series phones among a growing list.

    During the period, the report says GPS chipsets will continue to penetrate this segment; nine of every ten smartphones will contain GPS ICs in 2014, compared with one in three in 2008.

    George Perros, senior analyst with ABI Research, said that falling component prices and increasing consumer awareness of handset locationcapabilities will keep demand for GPS-enabled phones healthy, in spite of the slumping global economic picture.

    Other factors that will continue the trend toward the inclusion of GPS functionality in handsets include the spread of open source operating systems such as Google’s Android.

    It provides application specific interfaces (APIs) that allow software developers to create location-based content for mobile devices.
    The report also highlights the continuing emergence of navigation and map-based applications for handsets.

    "As the quality of positioning technology in handsets improves and the cost of including it declines, GPS location technology will approach the status of a standard device feature," said Perros.

    "We are approaching the point where location awareness will be synonymous with smart devices, a point where personal navigation, social spatial knowledge, and location-specific contextual information will be assumed handset capabilities."

    If accurate, the report’s predictions will certainly be welcomed by smartphone manufacturers.

    We’d be interested in hearing your view on the figures.

  • T-Mobile to take G1 into continental Europe


    Various countries on the European continent are in line to get the HTC G1 following its October launch in the UK and US.

    T-Mobile is continuing the roll-out of the handset – the first to run Google’s Android operating system – with a launch in Germany on 2 February.

    That follows the arrival of the touchscreen device in the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Austria before the end of 30 January.

    It will also hit Poland sometime in February.

    T-Mobile chief executive Hamid Akhavan said the G1 had sold "several hundred thousand" units in the US, where it retails for USD $179 with a two-year contract.

    In Germany the phone will sell from USD €1 on a two-year contract.

    The Android operating system is expected to appear on a number of smartphones in the next 12 months, having won support from major manufacturers such as Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG, Huawei and Motorola.

  • Skydeck Syncs Mobiles' Calls, Contacts, and Voicemails With Web Browers


    Skydeck has launched a feature-packed beta that syncs what takes place on cell phones to a web page.

    The mobile startup’s offering lists all contacts, received calls, missed calls, voicemails and text messages.

    So much so that the company is calling the new Skydeck "your cell phone, online".

    Previously, Skydeck’s beta used mobile phone bills to display real social network based on numbers called the most.

    Now users can listen to voicemails from their browsers or read a transcribed version of each voicemail (via SpinVox).

    The online service also allows users to search all voicemails and text messages.

    Replies to messages can be sent from a browser, with all the calls appearing to come from the user’s cell phone number.

    It functions best on Blackberry and Android phones with full support for Windows Mobile coming soon, but most of the features work on nearly any handset.

    Currently only available in the US, the service costs from USD $9.95 a month, with calls through a PC costing USD $0.03 a minute, plus USD $0.20 for each transcribed voicemail.

    For USD $29.95 a month users get unlimited PC phone calls and transcriptions.

  • Final Chance to Nominate Smartphone Person/Product Of The Year


    The new year may well be firmly underway but there’s still plenty of time to submit your nominations and votes for smartphone.biz-news’ 2008 Man and Product of the Year awards.

    We have already received numerous nominations from readers in both award categories.

    On the hardware side, the HTC Touch Pro is a leading contender for product of the year – praised for being "the most versatile device available today for anyone who uses their smartphone as a portable".

    On the application front, various front-runners are emerging, including fring, OnRelay, AmazeGPS and Nimbuzz.

    Fans of OnRelay describe it as "the coolest thing ever", a "new and exciting product" and the "best fixed mobile convergence product on the market by far".

    Comments for fring are equally enthusiastic, with readers labelling it the "most wonderful application" they’d come across and a "simple and easy way to keep in touch".

    AmazeGPS is variously described as the "best free navigation system" and is lauded for "kicking dust" at expensive competitors.

    Finally, Nimbuzz is singled out for its "stability, well thought-out interface and impressive network support".

    For Person of the Year, Ivor Plahte, CEO and co-founder of OnRelay, is the leading nominee.

    Ivor Plahte, CEO, OnRelay

    He is described as being the company’s "driving force" and at the "forefront of mobile telephony".

    Praise indeed but don’t let it stop you putting forward other contenders.

    Please send us your product or person nominations before the end of January.

  • NVIDIA's Ion For AppleTV?


    Reports are circulating about the likely inclusion of NVIDIA’s Ion platform in the next AppleTV.

    It appears that Apple was the first to receive samples of the platform – when other potential users were being supplied with blueprints.

    The Ion platform makes use of the 9600M GPU, which can easily decode full HD video.

    Along with the Ion’s inclusion in AppleTV there is the possibility that it could also be used in the next Mac Mini.

    Since it is also paired with an Intel Atom processor – not the ideal fit for the Mac Mini – the likelihood is that it’s more certain to appear in AppleTV.

    Extremely compact, the inclusion of the Ion in either Apple product is certain to reduce the case size.

  • RIM now taking BlackBerry Application Store submissions


    RIM’s rival to Apple’s App Store has moved a step closer to fruition.

    The Canadian company has sent a message to all registered BlackBerry developers calling for application submissions for its application storefront.

    RIM tells potential developers that a spring launch is on the cards – so there’s a good chance that come opening day, the "shelves" will be well stocked with software.

    Below is the full note to developers:

    BlackBerry Application Storefront



    Bring us your innovative genius:



    BlackBerry application storefront now accepting submissions



    Be first in line to submit applications you’ve designed for BlackBerry smartphones to the new BlackBerry application storefront. We’re counting down to a spring launch and we’re accepting submissions right now. Find out how to submit an application to the BlackBerry application storefront.



    The storefront will be an ideal spot for developers to bring their applications—whether they are consumer-focused or targeted to business users1.



    Why Submit an Application?



    The market for BlackBerry applications is growing at a phenomenal rate and the application storefront will offer you the exciting opportunity to showcase your applications to millions of BlackBerry smartphone users. It will provide consumers with greater choice, and enhanced application discovery.

    Who Can Submit?



    Developers across the globe are invited to submit their applications for consideration in the BlackBerry application storefront.



    Thank you for considering submitting your application and we look forward to working with you on the launch of the BlackBerry application storefront.



    Learn more about the BlackBerry storefront application submission process.