Monday, February 24, 2014

Nokia unveils line of low-cost, Android-powered smartphones

from latimes


Nokia X
Nokia Monday unveiled its line of Android-powered, low-cost Nokia X smartphones. (Nokia / February24, 2014)
February 24, 2014, 8:20 a.m.
Nokia announced three low-cost smartphones that run the Google Android operating system.
In recent years, Nokia primarily powered its smartphones with the Windows Phone operating system, but limitations of that platform prevented the phone maker from building low-priced, entry-level devices.
Nokia changed that Monday by introducing the Nokia X line, which includes the Nokia X, the Nokia X+ and the Nokia XL. The devices will be available for 89, 99 and 109 euros, respectively, or about $122, $135 and $150, all before any carrier subsidies.
The Nokia X comes with a 4-inch screen, 512 megabytes of RAM and a 3-megapixel camera. The Nokia X+ also includes a 4-inch screen and 3-megapixel camera, but it has 768 megabytes of RAM and comes with a 4-gigabyte MicroSD card. The Nokia XL has a 5-inch screen, 768 megabytes of RAM, a 4-gigabyte MicroSD card and a 5-megapixel camera. All three use a 1-gigahertz Qualcomm Snapdragon Dual Core processor.
Each model will be available in numerous color options.
Nokia posted a YouTube video promoting the new line.
The devices are powered by Android, but Nokia designed the three smartphones to maintain a Windows Phone feel. The interface of the Nokia X line mimics that of Windows Phone and includes numerous apps that are available only through Nokia and Microsoft, including Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage, Nokia MixRadio and Skype. Users will be able to download Android apps through the Nokia Store.
The Nokia X will be available for purchase immediately in Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa. The Nokia X+ and the Nokia XL will go on sale in those markets in the second quarter. No word on when the devices will be available in the U.S.
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http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-nokia-x-android-smartphones-20140224,0,725453.story#ixzz2uGsq2YFl
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Thursday, February 20, 2014

Does the Facebook deal signal a new tech bubble?

from yahoo,com

There are billions and there are ridiculous Facebook billions.
First it was Instagram. Then it was Yammer. Then Tumblr. Then Waze. And, just last week, Viber. These are all start-ups that received around $1 billion each over the past couple of years to be acquired.
Now Facebook's latest acquisition – WhatsApp – doesn't just surpass other acquisitions, it makes them look like they were purchased with change found in between Mark Zuckerberg's sofa cushions.
Facebook announced on Wednesday it was purchasing five year-old WhatsApp for a whopping $16 billion. Were it a publicly-traded company, WhatsApp would fall at roughly number 265 on the S&P 500 list. It was purchased for more money than the value of Humana, Marriott International, or Southwest Airlines.
According to CNBC contributor Gina Sanchez, founder of Chantico Global, this may be sign of a tech bubble but one that may not come crashing down. Well, at least not yet.
"A lot of people have been talking about a tech bubble," says Sanchez. "I do think that this [the WhatsApp acquisition] is yet another data point that tells us that this is a bubble. But, that doesn't mean that the bubble is going to burst immediately."
Instead, Sanchez sees investors jumping into tech names hoping to hitch their portfolio to a rising star. That could actually inflate any possible bubble, believes Sanchez. 
"I think the fuel behind that is going to be fear," says Sanchez. "Fear of investors missing out and then fear of investors wanting to hold on to what they've got. I think that's going to cause the market to be quite volatile."
However, Steven Pytlar, Chief Equity Strategist at Prime Executions, believes it's not the entire tech sector that may be in a bubble but just one segment in particular, social media. Pytlar notes the divergence between the Global X Social Media Index ETF (the SOCL) and the NASDAQ-100 index over the past year.
"Since May," says Pytalr, "the social media ETF has really outperformed the top 100 names in the NASDAQ quite significantly. How we interpret that is that really it's not a tech-wide phenomenon, although tech right now is very strong on the charts. It's really social media running away as new money comes into it."
Pytlar believes headlines about large acquisitions are driving people to invest in the social media space though relatively new stocks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and the like.
"That can create a bubble," says Pytlar, "but I don't think – and the charts don't tell us – that's really seeping into the broader tech space, into the more traditional semiconductor and maybe older technology companies yet."
To see the rest of the discussion on the NASDAQ with Sanchez on the fundamentals and Pytlar on the technicals, watch the video above.
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Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Facebook to buy WhatsApp for $19 billion

from msn.com






February 19, 2014 6:25 PM ET
By Gerry Shih and Sarah McBride
(Reuters) - Facebook Inc will buy fast-growing mobile-messaging startup WhatsApp for $19 billion in cash and stock, as the world's largest social network looks for ways to boost its popularity, especially among a younger crowd.
The acquisition of the hot messaging service with more than 450 million users around the world stunned many Silicon Valley observers with its lofty price tag.
But it underscores Facebook's determination to win the market for messaging, an indispensable utility in a mobile era.
Combining text messaging and social networking, messaging apps provide a quick way for smartphone users to trade everything from brief texts to flirtatious pictures to YouTube clips — bypassing the need to pay wireless carriers for messaging services.
And it helps Facebook tap teens who will eschew the mainstream social networks and prefer WhatsApp and rivals such as Line and WeChat, which have exploded in size as mobile messaging takes off.
"People are calling them 'Facebook Nevers,'" said Jeremy Liew, a partner at Lightspeed and an early investor in Snapchat.
WhatsApp is adding about a million users per day, Facebook co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said on his page on Wednesday.
"WhatsApp will complement our existing chat and messaging services to provide new tools for our community," he wrote on his Facebook page. "Since WhatsApp and (Facebook) Messenger serve such different and important users, we will continue investing in both."
Smartphone-based messaging apps are now sweeping across North America, Asia and Europe.
"Communication is the one thing that you have to use daily, and it has a strong network effect," said Jonathan Teo, an early investor in Snapchat, another red-hot messaging company that flirted year ago with a multibillion dollar acquisition offer from Facebook.
"Facebook is more about content and has not yet fully figured out communication."
Even so, he balked at the price tag.
As part of the deal, WhatsApp co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Jan Koum will join Facebook's board, and the social network will grant an additional $3 billion worth of restricted stock units to WhatsApp's founders, including Koum.
That is on top of the $16 billion in cash and stock that Facebook will pay.
"Goodness gracious, it's a good deal for WhatsApp," Teo said.
TERMS
Shares in Facebook slid 5 percent to $64.70 after hours, from a close of $68.06 on the Nasdaq.
Facebook said on Wednesday it will pay $4 billion in cash and about $12 billion in stock in its single largest acquisition, dwarfing the $1 billion it paid for photo-sharing app Instagram.
The price paid for Instagram, which with just 30 million users was already considered overvalued by many observers at the time.
Facebook promised to keep the WhatsApp brand and service, and pledged a $1 billion cash break-up fee if the deal falls through.
Facebook was advised by Allen & Co, while WhatsApp has enlisted Morgan Stanley for the deal.
(Additional reporting by Soham Chatterjee in Bangalore; Editing by Savio D'Souza, Andrew Hay and Lisa Shumaker)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Check for restrictions at: http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp



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Saturday, February 15, 2014

Android 5 release date, news and rumors

from techradar.com



UPDATED Here's what we know about Android 5.0 so far

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50 COMMENTS
PAGE 1 OF 2Android 5.0 news and rumors
Android 5 release date, news and rumors
Android 5.0 Lemon and Lime, perhaps?
Android 5 is going to be exciting, there's no doubt about that. Google saves the change to a new number for the big things, with both Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich making big alterations to the way we use our Android phones.
We thought it would have been Key Lime Pie that showed off the next level, but on 31 October 2013, Google officially revealed its next minor update,Android 4.4 KitKat, which now clears the road for Android 5.
Cut to the chase
What is it? The next major upgrade for Android, to follow on from Android 4.4
When is it out? We're thinking mid-2014
What will it cost? Nothing, it'll be a free upgrade
The dessert-themed code name that we assume will begin with L is anyone's guess at this stage. Android 5.0 Lemon Cheesecake or Android 5.0 Lemon Meringue Pie, anyone?
As we wait on official news of that name, we're constantly combing the web to see what's going to be happening with this L-powered update, so check back to see what we've uncovered and the level of likelihood each rumour brings.

Android 5.0 release date

Until Android 4.4 was announced we had expected the Android 5.0 release date to be some time in October 2013. We instead saw Android 4.4 KitKatlaunch on 31 October, so now we're expecting to see Android 5.0 shown off in mid-2014, quite possibly at Google IO, Google's annual two-day developer conference in San Francisco.
That's a year on from when we had originally expected to see Android 5.0, which was at Google IO 2013, which took place from May 15 to May 17 2013. Given that Google announced Android 4.1 Jelly Bean at 2012's IO conference, we're now desperate for the next iteration of the code.
Sundar Pichai, Google's new head of Android told Wired that 2013's IO was "not a time when we have much in the way of launches of new products or a new operating system"," which makes us wonder when the new software will be coming.
Our take: Android updates are still coming too slowly for our liking, as while each 0.1-numbered upgrade is good, it's not enough to make us want the native experience.
We're expecting Google to make Android 5 rather special indeed, which means it can only wait a maximum of 6-7 months after KitKat was announced to show it off - so mid-2014 has to happen, in our opinion.

Android 5.0 phones

The first handset to run Android 5 will either be a Nexus phone or tablet, and given the timing of the announcement we think it might be the latter. The Google Nexus 5 launched Android 4.4 at the tail end of next year, and we reckon the Nexus 10 (2014) will appear soon - meaning a tablet launch for the new OS.
HTC looks like the front runner to bring this tablet to the market, so we're thinking that this could happen mid-2014, which puts it firmly on course to be made soon.
Will it be known as a Nexus? The scheme is reportedly under threat, although in no way confirmed by Google. It does have the Play Editions of its devices, so we could see Android 5 side-launched on other devices - but we can't see that happening.
Google IO 2012
Androids out in force at Google IO 2012

Samsung's Android 5.0 upgrades

Although Samsung is yet to officially confirm its Android 5.0 schedule, a SamMobile source is claiming to know which phones and tablets will be getting the upgrade. According to the source, the devices set to receive the upgrade are the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Note 8.0and Galaxy Note 10.1. Do note that this claim was made before Google announced Android 4.4, so if it was ever correct, it's probably a lot less correct now.
Samsung Galaxy S4
As you'd expect, the S4 will be getting an Android update, but to which version?

Android 5.0 features

Android Geeks reported that Google Babble would debut on Android 5.0. Babble was the code name for Google's cross-platform service and app with the aim of unifying its various chat services which include Talk, Hangout, Voice, Messenger, Chat for Google Drive and Chat on Google+.
A screenshot that we were sent from a Google employee on 8 Aprilconfirmed that not only was this unified chat service on the way, but that it was called Google Babel not Babble. On 10 May, we discovered that Babel would launch as Google Hangouts, and on 15 May we saw it come to life for devices running Android 2.3 and up. So much for it debuting on Android 5.
Google Babel
We've been fishing for info on Babel
A more recent idea is that Google's next version of Android will have more fitness smarts built in - and this is an idea we think has legs, if you'll pardon the sort-of pun.
Apple is set to go big in this area with the iWatch and iOS 8, and other brands, such as Samsung and LG, are making strides too.
The idea is future versions of Android will allow the software to harness "fitness data from sensors on your Android device."
These could be built into future Android phones and tablets, but it's also likely that the API will play nicely with Android-based smartwatches and even Google Glass.
Some have speculated that Android 5.0 will be actually Chrome OS, Google's high power operating system for its Chromebooks - that it would use Android for low- to mid-level handsets and put Chrome on the high end.
However, this makes little sense given the effort that would be needed for app integration, so like Microsoft and Windows Phone the mobile OS will very likely continue as is.

Android 5.0 interface

While this is pure speculation, we're wondering whether Android 5.0 might bring with it a brighter interface, moving away from the Holo Dark themethat came with Android 4.0.
Google Play 4
Google Play is lightening up [image credit: DroidLife]
On 6 August 2013, we learned that Google had applied to patent a rather cool piece of functionality whereby an Android user would be able to launch different apps by drawing different patterns on the lock screen.
If this feature makes it into Android 5, we could be able to launch the camera app by drawing one pattern and Twitter by drawing another.
PAGE 1 OF 2Android 5.0 news and rumors
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Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Samsung Galaxy S5 Expected at Feb. 24 Unpacked Event

from pcmag



Samsung on Monday sent invitations to its latest Unpacked event, which is expected to include the launch of the Galaxy S5.
The event will take place on Feb. 24 in Barcelona at this year's Mobile World Congress. It kicks off at 8 p.m. local time or 2 p.m. ET, but if you don't have money for a plane ticket to Spain, don't fret. Samsung will be live streaming the event online, and PCMag will be there reporting on all the action as it goes down.
Samsung did not announce what it plans to "unpack" at the event, but all signs point to a next-gen Galaxy device, the S5. The company has already revealed a few details about its next flagship smartphone. In speaking with Bloomberg last month, Samsung's mobile executive vice president Lee Young Hee said that the company is on track to release its Galaxy S5 in March or April, and that it will be a departure from the Galaxy S4.
Physically, there was not much difference between the Galaxy S4 and its predecessor, the S III, but that's about the change with the S5. "Mostly, it's about the display and the feel of the cover," Lee told Bloomberg.
Samsung hosted its last Unpacked event in September at the IFA trade show in Berlin, when it revamped its Galaxy lineup with an updated Galaxy Note 3 smartphone and Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, as well as a wearable smartwatch known as the Galaxy Gear.
Meanwhile, Samsung said today that the Wi-Fi version of its 12.2-inch Galaxy Note Pro, as well as the Tab Pro 10.1 and 8.4, which made their debut at CES, will be available in the U.S. starting on Feb. 13. Pre-orders begin at midnight ET, Feb. 4 via Samsung.com, Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, Tiger Direct, PC Richard and Sons, Fry's, and Newegg.
A 4G LTE Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 will be released on Verizon Wireless later in the quarter, while a Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 (sans stylus) will land in March.
For more, check out PCMag Live in the video below, which discusses the Galaxy S5.

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Sunday, February 2, 2014

Microsoft: Undervalued And Under New Management

from seekingalpha.com


Feb. 2, 2014 8:17 AM ET |  About: MSFT
Disclosure: I am long MSFT. (More...)
"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." - Peter Drucker
After much speculation in the last few months, it appears that Microsoft (MSFT) has settled on a leader to replace CEO Steven Ballmer after his 13 years of the helm.
The company has decided to promote from within and will name Satya Nadella as its new CEO sometime next week according to several sources. Mr. Nadella is currently the company's server/cloud product chief. His division accounted for ~65% of the company's profit in its last quarter.
I believe this is a solid pick as do investors, it seems, as the stock rose when word leaked out Friday despite the sell-off in the overall market. The products within Mr. Nadella's portfolio are some of the fastest growth engines for the company.
It appears Mr. Ballmer will leave the company and the board shortly. His tenure will go down as a mixed one. Over the last decade, the company has ~tripled earnings and revenues and established a solid dividend payout, but the stock has gone nowhere under his leadership.
Microsoft missed the transition to mobile and the importance of social media but has built an impressive 'cloud' portfolio which hopefully Mr. Nadella can more effectively highlight to the investment community than his soon to be predecessor.
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    Friday, January 31, 2014

    With Motorola gone, Google can focus on fixing Android

    from cnn


    android htc one samsung galaxy s4




    NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

    Google sold Motorola Mobility just a year and a half after buying it. On the surface, that seems like an admission of defeat.

    But selling Motorola is less a confession that it messed up, and more a tacit admission that there's no real need for Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) to be making its own smartphones.
    Software licenses and driving people to search are how Google makes money on mobile. Selling smartphones, by contrast, has been a perpetual money loser for Google.
    When Google started designing "Nexus" brand smartphones in 2010, smartphones were still by and large mediocre. Google needed to create its own hardware to show manufacturers how a smartphone should look, feel, and perform. Though Nexus phones themselves never overwhelmed in the sales category, the overall mission succeeded: Every major manufacturer now makes at least one top-tier phone with excellent performance.
    Realizing that practically any company can make a great smartphone now, Google is turning its attention to making sure the user experience on all of the top Android phones is spot on.
    That's something even the largest Android smartphone manufacturer, Samsung, has been struggling with. Software is now the major way for phone makers to differentiate their products. The problem for Google is that the best selling Android handsets have begun to de-emphasize Google's services, instead promoting the smartphone maker's often gimmicky services and apps.
    Google's sale of Motorola is likely part of a plan to take back ownership of its Android operating system.
    Russian blogger and analyst Eldar Murtazin claims that Google will abandon it's Nexus line of phone and tablets in 2015 and will instead focus on an effort to put its unvarnished Android software on popular devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One. Though Murtazin has a hit or miss record, a Re/Code report claiming Google is pressuring Samsung to abandon its custom Android software lends some credence to the notion.
    Though Android's open-source nature gives smartphone makers tremendous freedom to make their phones' software unique, Google's default Android experience remains substantially better than anything else out there. Google needs to protect that. Google was never going to do that with Motorola or Nexus phones, which only comprised a very small percentage of overall Android smartphone sales.
    Also by cutting ties with Motorola, Google is eliminating a source of tension with Android phone makers. Google can now restore any goodwill lost with its partners when it bought one of their rivals and get to work on making Android a better experience on all devices.
    So it makes sense that Google is offloading Motorola (except for most of the patents and the research department). It makes sense that Google wants to focus on third-party hardware. It makes sense that Google wants more control of the user experience on Samsung phones.
    That's because Google and Android smartphone makers aren't competing with each other as much as they're competing against a common foe: Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500). To top of page
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