Huawei Teams With Intel For Server Program In 2012

With the launch of its Tecal V2 servers with Intel Xeon E5 processors inside, Chinese telecom equipment maker Huawei has announced its server product plans for 2012, including rack, blade, data center servers and application acceleration solutions.
Huawei's new server products will reportedly be mainly based on Intel's chips. Tecal V2 servers use the newest Intel Xeon E5-2600 processors and focus on the enterprise information technology and data center sectors. By adhering to energy-saving concepts, Huawei Tecal servers received a "Restriction of Hazardous Substances Certificate" and the first "China's Environmentally Friendly Product Symbol Certificate".
According to comments made to local media by Chen Shijun, general manager of Huawei Server Product Domain, Huawei's new servers feature more powerful performance, larger storage capacity, and better scalability. Chen said that server development strategy plays a very important role in Huawei's ICT strategy. Cloud computing technology has brought about profound changes in IT infrastructure. As the cornerstone of IT infrastructure, server is the ladder to the cloud. Tecal servers have witnessed outstanding growth in the past three years. With a wide range of products including rack server, blade server, high density and scalability data center server, Huawei servers serve clients in various industries such as Internet, government, medical, and energy.
At present, Huawei's major clients are from data center and Internet sectors; however, the Chinese company plans to expand its server market and enter the overseas market.
During the first three quarters of 2011, Huawei reportedly realized contractual value of USD185 million for server products, a year-on-year increase of 136%. For the entire year of 2011, the company expects to achieve contractual value of USD250 million.

Google Cloud is here

Google finally released it's long awaited 'Drive' service yesterday, (24/04/2012).
Drive allows people to store photos, videos, data and other digital files in Google's 'cloud'.
Google are offering 5GB of storage free at drive.google.com, with larger storage upgrades available at a cost.
"The model is really designed at the core to help people live their lives in the cloud," Google vice president for Chrome and Apps Sundar Pichai said on a conference call with reporters.
"Google Drive is something we see as central to the online experience at Google."
Google Drive software has been tailored for Windows and Macintosh computers as well as smartphones or tablets powered by Google-backed Android software.

Story Source: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/google-joins-cloud-data-storage-165548207.html

Nokia Lumia 900 out in 2 weeks

Phones4u has confirmed it will be the first UK stockist for the Nokia Lumia 900 Windows smart phone from May 14th.
This is 2 weeks later than the first date given, apparently due to a bigger than expected demand in the US.
The Lumia 900 won CNET.com's Best smartphone of CES in January.
It has a 4.3in touchscreen, weighs 160g, an 8MP main camera and boasts fast internet connection says Nokia.
Check out the spec at; http://www.nokia.com/gb-en/products/phone/lumia900/specifications/

Story Source: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/45429/nokia-lumia-900-phones4u-14-may-on-sale

Microsoft invests in ebooks in latest deal

Microsoft announced this week that it is to invest a massive $300 mill, (£185 million), in a deal with US book firm Barnes and Noble.
This buys Microsoft a 17.6% stake in a new subsidiary temporarily named 'Newco' which will look after the digital and college side of the Barnes and Noble book business.
The biggest news concerning this deal is that Windows 8 will be bundled in with the Nook digital bookstore and the app will work on every new Windows 8 tablet and computer.
"The formation of Newco and our relationship with Microsoft are important parts of our strategy to capitalise on the rapid growth of the Nook business, and to solidify our position as a leader in the exploding market for digital content in the consumer and education segments," said William Lynch, CEO of Barnes & Noble.
"Microsoft's investment in Newco, and our exciting collaboration to bring world-class digital reading technologies and content to the Windows platform and its hundreds of millions of users, will allow us to significantly expand the business."

Story Source: w.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17896534

Sony's first Ultrabook due out in June

Sony has unveiled their first Ultrabook, the VAIO T13.
Due for release in early June, The T13 screen measures 13inches, offers nine hours of battery life and runs Intel's i3-2367M Sandy Bridge processor.
The Ultrabook can be used to charge a smartphone or other device, even if the VAIO T13 is switched off.
For more details, check it out at; http://presscentre.sony.co.uk/content/detail.aspx?ReleaseID=7589&NewsAreaId=2

Story Source: http://presscentre.sony.co.uk/content/detail.aspx?ReleaseID=7589&NewsAreaId=2

Ubuntu Linux Now In Dell's Chinese Sales Arsenal

Canonical, developer of the open source operating system Ubuntu, has announced that Dell will sell PCs with the pre-installed Ubuntu operating system in its over 100 new retail stores in China.
The operating system will be first pre-installed in Dell's business models and then expanded to consumer PCs.
Maria Bonnefon, market development and channel director for Canonical, said that Ubuntu will cooperate with the full range of products at Dell. The two parties started cooperating in 2009 and the cooperating range is not limited to the Chinese market. Bonnefon said millions of Dell's products with the Ubuntu operating system will be sold every year, covering laptops, desktops, and servers. The company's cooperation with Dell is both on the Internet and in retail stores.
According to Canonical's employees in China, the cooperation between Ubuntu and Dell's retail stores in China started from October 2011 and it is now focusing on the development of the eastern regions in China. It is expected that Dell PCs with the Ubuntu system will be available in its over 100 Chinese retail stores.
Ubuntu is an open source operating system which can help PC manufacturers reduce the prices of their low-end products. According to related policies, PCs must have a pre-installed operating system. Many manufacturers currently choose the Windows operating systems developed by Microsoft, but it will, to a certain extent, increase the costs of PCs.
Founded by Mark Shuttleworth, Canonical is a private company that focuses on the development of the open source operating system Ubuntu. The company currently has over 450 employees and has expanded its businesses into over 30 countries and regions. Headquartered in London, it now has branches in Boston, Montreal, Taipei, and Shanghai. In addition, it plans to launch a new office in Beijing.

HP's PC Market Share Drops In China

During the fourth quarter of 2011, PC shipments from major manufacturers saw significant changes in China with HP dropping to fifth place.
The statistics showed that in the fourth quarter of 2011, Lenovo, the Chinese local PC maker, led the market with 35.3% market share, followed by Acer and Dell, which gained 9.5% and 9.4% market share, respectively.
Meanwhile, Asus ranked fourth for the first time in the Chinese PC market with a 5.7% market share; and the performance of HP in China continued to decline to the fifth position with a mere 5.3% market share. This was reportedly the worst statistics for HP in China in recent years. In the third quarter of 2009, the company's market share in China reached about 15%.
IDC said that HP's previous seesawing PC strategy affected its channels and led to the decline of market share in the fourth quarter. By contrast, Asus' performance was contributed by good products and channel distribution.

March's Patch Tuesday notification

Microsoft has issued it's advance notification for March's Patch Tuesday, with only 6 patches, 1 of which is classed as critical.
The critical patch addresses a fix for a remote code execution vulnerability for all Windows operating systems.
3 other patches address Windows vulnerabilities and the remaining 2 target a privilege vulnerability in Visual Studio and a remote code execution in Expression Design.

For further details, check out; http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin/ms12-mar

Story Source: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin/ms12-mar

iPad 3 is here

As expected, Apple announced the new iPad yesterday at it's much hyped event in San Fransisco.
The latest tablet includes retina display, a 3.1. million pixel HD screen and a 5 megapixel camera.
It also features a super fast quad-core A5x chip, which Apple say, will increase the speed by up to 4 times compared to the iPad 2's processor.
The iPad 3 will also offer a high speed 4G LTE network connection, unfortunately UK providers won't accomodate this till next year.
Apple's Tim Cook also unveiled an updated Apple TV box at yesterday's event.
The third iPad will be released on March 16th.

Story Source: http://www.apple.com/

Lulzec hackers arrested, leader charged

An International swoop by police has resulted in several arrests in the US, UK and Ireland of suspected Lulzec hackers.
This follows the charging of the hacking group's suspected leader, Hector Xavier Monsegur, (nicknamed Sabu), of conspiracy to engage in computer hacking according to Reuters.
Reuters also suggested that Sabu had co-operated with the US Government prior to today's arrests.
According to the court papers filed in Manhattan, Mr Monsegur formed Lulzsec last May. It said he acted as a "rooter", identifying vulnerabilities in victim's computer systems.
Lulzec, along with Anonymous, are thought to be responsible for a series of hacking attacks on high profile firms such as Sony, PayPal and ebay amongst others.
Last month Anonymous published a recording of a private telephone conversation between FBI agents and London detectives talking about Lulzsec suspects.

Story Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17270822#TWEET94638

AMD shoots for the cloud with SeaMicro buy

AMD will takeover low-power microserver vendor SeaMicro in a $334 million deal.
The processor giant said the acquisition will allow the company to accelerate its route to market with server technologies, specifically for data centres that rely on the cloud. SeaMicro’s fabric technology will position AMD to deliver “industry-leading server building blocks” to handle workloads such as dynamic web content and social networking.
AMD CEO Rory Read said in a conference call announcing the acquisition that the move was in reaction to increasing levels of cloud computing being used to reduce power consumption and costs in today’s data centres. As data centre and server structures continue to morph with the adoption of the cloud, AMD wants to position itself as a leader in the space, he told listeners.
"We are clearly skating to where the puck is going," Read said.
AMD said its own Opteron server technology combined with SeaMicro’s will yield a range of low-power server processors to help reduce data centre cost and complexity, while providing an overall boost in performance. The company plans to launch its first Opteron processors based on a combined AMD and SeaMicro architecture during the second half of 2012.
Andrew Feldman, CEO of SeaMicro, will become general manager of AMD's newly created Data Centre Server Solutions business.
"SeaMicro was founded to dramatically reduce the power consumed by servers, while increasing compute density and bandwidth,” Feldman said in a statement. “By becoming a part of AMD, we will have access to new markets, resources, technology, and scale that will provide us with the opportunity to work tightly with our OEM partners as we fundamentally change the server market."
Despite the restructure and appointment of Feldman, Read said AMD remains “firmly committed” to its traditional server business. The CEO also said that the acquisition of SeaMicro will have no impact on AMD's 2012 financial guidance.

ASRock Prepares Intel Z77 Chipset Motherboards

ASRock is busy preparing its latest round of motherboards based on the Intel Z77 chipset. First up is the ATX form-factor Z77 Extreme6 motherboard, which is targeted at computer enthusiasts. The Z77 Extreme6 features two PCIe 3.0 x16 slots along with a PCIe 2.0 x1, two PCI and one mini PCIe slot, supporting both Quad SLI and Quad Crossfire set-ups. The board supports provides a total of four SATA 6Gbps ports via an ASMedia controller (one is combined with an eSATA connector) and four SATA 3Gbps ports. The Z77 Extreme 6 also includes 7.1 channel audio and DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI and VGA ports. Connectivity is covered by USB 3.0 (four ports on the rear panel), USB 2.0, Firewire (one port) and Gigabit Ethernet support. Four DDR3 DIMM slots provide plenty of space for memory while a clear CMOS button on the rear I/O panel aids overclocking enthusiasts. The board has an 8+4 PWM circuit complete with heatsinks and a heatpipe. The Z77 Extreme 6 is finished in a black and silver colour scheme with gold detailing.

The other boards are both aimed at PC gamers, being marketed under the Fatal1ty brand. The ATX Z77 Fatal1ty Professional is similar to the X77 Extreme6 but seems to have some minor changes, including an extra PCIe x1 slot replacing the mini-PCIe slot, more PWM phases, dual-ethernet ports and less display outputs (DisplayPort and HDMI only). The smaller micro-ATX apparently maintains the same display outputs as the Z77 Extreme6 and also features three PCIe 3.0 slots, one ethernet port and less PWM phases. Both Fatal1ty boards have the distinctive red and black colour design. More details regarding the boards should surface at CeBIT next week.

Half of UK IT professionals awarded pay rise and bonus in 2011

Almost half of UK IT professionals received a pay rise last year, according to TechTarget’s CIO/IT Strategy Media Group IT salary and career survey.
The survey of 600 UK companies, in November 2011, found 46% of respondents received a pay rise. Furthermore, 33% said they received a bonus. Only 0.6% said they had experienced a pay cut.
Senior executives, including CIOs, CTO, VPs and CISOs, averaged their current salaries at£64,000, rising to £93,000 with bonuses and commission. The average base wage came to £45,500, rising to £50,500 with bonuses and commission.
Some 46% of respondents anticipated a pay rise in 2012. The survey found 36% expected another bonus, with only 0.2% predicting a pay cut.
However, Jim Albert, managing director of IT staffing and recruiting agency Modis International, said he had not witnessed large raises in salaries and bonuses: “Most people move jobs for the same money or are taking pay cuts to move in to roles they feel will develop them further in their career through learning new and different skills.”
IT recruitment agency Computer People produce a monthly trackercovering IT job vacancies, salaries and jobs that are most in demand. In contrast to TechTarget’s findings, Computer People’s February report found permanent salaries took a nose dive with declines recorded against all key IT positions, apart from web developers (increase of 0.09%) and project managers (increase of 0.001%).
Sid Barnes, executive director of Computer People, said: “While we saw sharp salary increases at the beginning of 2011, 2012 started off a little slower due to cautious spending. But it appears that hiring managers are willing to pay for quality.”
Malcolm Cowley, CEO of technology provider, Performance Horizon Group, said that, as a technology start-up it recognises the importance of rewarding staff with monetary incentives, including bonuses and pay rises.
"We believe to keep ahead of the game in the technology industry that monetary rewards are as important as a happy and balanced work life, especially as we work through the end of a difficult recession,” said Cowley.

South Lanarkshire Council seeks IT services worth £40m

South Lanarkshire Council is looking for a provider to implement a wide variety of IT equipment and services for its education establishments.
An online tender outlines that the deal will be worth about £40m.

IT equipment and support services are required for 17 secondary schools, 124 primary schools, 57 nursery classes, 10 youth facilities and 25 public libraries in the area.
The chosen vendor will be expected to provide local area networks (LANs), managed wireless LANs, hardware – including PCs, printers and other peripherals – and software and training.
The initial contract is set to last for seven years, beginning in October 2013, but there is an option for a five-year extension if the council is satisfied with the service provider's performance.
Interested parties have until 19 March to participate in the tender

Windows 8: Make or break for Microsoft

The most hotly anticipated announcement at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona was not the next big thing from Apple – that is going to happen next week – but Microsoft's big push into the tablet market.
The company that has made billions providing the Windows operating system for desktop and laptop computers is entering the next era in its long and largely successful history. At MWC, it unveiled the Windows 8 Consumer Preview for users to download and try out.
This is not yet another version of Windows – Microsoft must adapt to the consumerisation of IT and it is pinning its hopes on Windows 8.
“Windows 8 is a critical part of Microsoft's history. The operating system can potentially unify its fortunes,” said Richard Edwards, principal analyst at Ovum.
According to Edwards, Microsoft's success came about due to consumer pressure. When IBM attempted to establish OS/2 in the early 1990s, home PC users put pressure on businesses to adopt Windows instead.
“Windows was Microsoft's route into the enterprise," he said. "Now Microsoft is pinning its hopes on power users who want the power of a PC with the flexibility of a tablet device.”

Operating system on the go

The Windows 8 Consumer Preview appears to take the same approach as mobile platforms such as Apple's iOS and Google's Android. There are appsin the Windows Store, with Microsoft clearly hoping to emulate the huge success of Apple's AppStore and the Android Marketplace. Users also need a Microsoft Live account to access cloud-based services such as cloud storage, e-mail, calendar and contacts.
The so-called Metro touch-based user interface shows that Microsoft is taking the tablet market seriously, while under the covers there is built-in support for low-powered hardware.
Windows 8 supports the ARM Cortex-A9 processor. Graphics chip maker Nvidia has integrated a graphics processor in its Tegra3 quad-core mobile processor. There are many variations based on the ARM architecture, each vying to capture a piece of the tablet market.
Yet, while it borrows from tablet trends, unlike iOS or Android, Windows 8 will be a fully fledged operating system, capable of running sophisticated client applications.
According to Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live division at Microsoft, the Windows 8 Consumer Preview delivers a "no-compromises approach to using your PC”.

New style of web browsing

Oke Okaro, general manager and head of mobile at Bloomberg, admitted that the new Microsoft offering is impressive, with its attempt to give users an optimal tablet and PC experience on one device.
“In the two years since the iPad's launch, growth in the PC market has slowed. Windows 8 is trying to bridge the touch-based tablet world and the traditional PC world,” he said.
Okaro said Windows 8 has the potential as a new platform for Bloomberg's news and television service. “Our goal is to deliver essential news and information that business executives need to make better informed decisions. As a result, we need to be on the device platforms with an experience that is optimal, as long as there is a critical mass on that platform.”
He recognised that as Windows has a very large installed base, and traditionally there is a rapid uptake, the new operating system will gain critical mass quickly.

In addition, Okaro said Windows 8 is a game-changer for traditional web browsing. “[Windows 8] will provide Bloomberg and many other companies [with an opportunity] to start the redefinition of the web experience as a result of the desktop PC and tablet worlds merging.”

Making a mobile push

When it was launched in 2009, Windows 7 was a big step forward for Microsoft and a huge improvement over its predecessor, Windows XP. It was the last version before Apple convinced everyone to buy an iPad.
Three years on, Microsoft desperately needs to regain control over client-side computing. It is no longer about the desktop and laptop. Smartphones are almost ubiquitous and tablets have established a new form of client-side computing.
Craig Cartier, an analyst for ICT practice at global consultancy Frost & Sullivan, said:“Windows needs a foothold in the mobile space if it is to continue to be one of the world's premiere technology brands, and it is desperately grasping for one.”
Cartier pointed out that while Microsoft dominates market share in PC operating systems, it has struggled in the smartphone sphere, never surpassing low single-digit share in the mass-market smartphone era.
He added that Microsoft's partnership with Nokia has potential, but has yet to reap any benefits.

Apple event March 7th for iPad3

Apple has sent out invites for an event to be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Fransisco on March 7th, 2012.
With the slogan, 'We have something you really need to see. And touch', the invites were sent out yesterday, (Feb, 28th), to the World's Press.
It is thought that Apple are to announce the long awaited iPad 3 which is expected to incorporate a faster processor, improved graphics and a Retina Display.

Story Source: http://www.loopinsight.com/2012/02/28/apple-announces-ipad-event-for-march-7-in-san-francisco/

Nokia unveils 41MP camera for smartphone

Nokia unveiled it's latest smartphone at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) currently being held in Barcelona.
The Nokia 808 Pure features an impressive 41MP rear facing camera equipped with Carl Zeiss optics, Zenon flash and a 1080p video.
“Nokia PureView imaging technology sets a new industry standard by whatever measure you use,” said Jo Harlow, executive vice president of Nokia Smart Devices. “People will inevitably focus on the 41 megapixel sensor, but the real quantum leap is how the pixels are used to deliver breath-taking image quality at any resolution and the freedom it provides to choose the story you want to tell.”
The smartphone also features a 4-inch nHD resolution ClearBlack touchscreen, a 1.3GHz processor, 16GB included storage, HSDPA and WiFi connectivity and a 1400mAh battery.
The phone is due for UK release in May.

Story Source: http://nokiamobilephonenews.co.uk/2012/02/27/nokia-808-pure-view-41-megapixel-cameraphone-official/

UK music site shut by Serious Crime Squad

A U.K. music site has been shut down by the Serious Crime Squad and a man arrested for fraud.
RnBXclusive.com has been taken over by S.O.C.A. with a warning issued for other 'illegal' music sites.
A message on the site from the agency said the majority of music files that were available via it "were stolen from the artists" and those who downloaded them could face up to 10 years in jail and an unlimited fine.
The warning goes on to say; "Soca has the capability to monitor and investigate you and can inform your internet service provider of these infringements.
"You may be liable for prosecution and the fact that you have received this message does not preclude you from prosecution.
"As a result of illegal downloads, young, emerging artists may have had their careers damaged. If you have illegally downloaded music, you will have damaged the future of the music industry."

Story Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17039722

Kinect for Windows released

Microsoft has released the Windows Software Development Kit for it's Kinect console.
Dedicated hardware for the motion detection gesture platform and a commercial ready installer are also now available.
"It's been just over a year since we launched Kinect for Xbox 360, and we're only starting to scratch the surface of what's possible with Kinect," said Craig Eisler, general manager for Kinect for Windows.

"By offering hardware and software that's designed specifically for Windows applications, we hope to inspire visionaries around the world to create transformative breakthroughs with Kinect - taking its gesture and voice capabilities beyond the living room into other industries such as education, manufacturing, healthcare, and retail."

 Story Source: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/kinectforwindows/

Details of a new Windows 8 phone, code named 'Apollo' have been leaked via an internal video from Microsoft according to reports.
Nokia released the first Windows 7 platform phone with their 'Lumia' range, and rumours are rife that Windows 8 will soon be available with a range of new features, including a next-generation WP OS will feature NFC compatibility allowing users to use their handset’s as a digital wallet.
Also, Apollo will add support for multicore processors, new screen resolutions (a total of four, although actual pixel counts weren't specified), and removable microSD card storage.
The internal video detailing the new Windows 8 platform was hosted by senior vice-president and Windows Phone manager, Joe Belfiore, was released by pocketnow.
Check it out at; http://pocketnow.com/windows-phone/exclusive-windows-phone-8-detailed

Story Source: http://www.t3.com/news/windows-phone-8-features-leak-via-internal-microsoft-video

Chrome for android arrives

Google has finally released Chrome for android beta.
The public beta trial of Chrome for android began yesterday, three years after the browser was first introduced.
Chrome for android includes the desktop version's V8 JavaScript engine, has gesture-based controls for moving among multiple tabs, synchronizes with the desktop version of Chrome, and shuts out plug-ins including Adobe Systems' Flash Player and Google's own Native Client. With its performance and features, Google expects Android users to increase their browser activity.
Chrome, which has 200 million users worldwide, overtook Firefox, an independent open source browser funded by a trust, as the second most popular in December 2011 and now has a 29% market share, with Firefox at 25%.
Microsoft's Internet Explorer has seen it's market share drop from 67% to just 37%.
Chrome for phone will work only on the latest version 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich version of Google's Android phone operating system. The browser will only be available to Android phones during the trial period, but a Google spokesperson said it hoped eventually to release versions for all operating systems including Apple's iOS for iPhones.
Full launch is expected to be available sometime in the Spring.
Check out the details at; http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lVjw7n_U37A

Story Source: http://chrome.blogspot.com/2012/02/introducing-chrome-for-android.html

Valentine's day Patch Tuesday

Microsoft has issued it's advance notification for February's Patch Tuesday which falls on Valentine's Day.
This month sees nine patches addressing 21 vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer, numerous versions of the Windows operating system, Office, Sharepoint and Silverlight.
Four of the nine bulletins are rated as critical with the remaining five classed as important.
For full details of the bulletin, go to; http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin/ms12-feb

Story Source: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin/ms12-feb

Apple's iPhone Will Not Be Available In China This Year

U.S.-based Apple said while publishing its latest financial report that it hopes the iPhone products could enter the Chinese market in 2010, which most likely means the iPhone will not be officially available in China this year.
In its financial report for the second quarter of the 2009 fiscal year, starting from December 28, 2008, and ending on March 27, 2009, Apple said it sold 3.793 million iPhone handsets, realizing sales of USD1.521 billion. Though its handset sales decreased by 13%, its revenue increased by 22%.
For when Apple's 3G iPhone will be introduced into the Chinese market, the attitude of China Unicom, an expected cooperator of Apple to jointly launch the 3G iPhone in China, has been puzzling Chinese consumers, but Apple has disclosed some information on this issue and said it hopes to introduce the 3G iPhone into the Chinese market in 2010 and the company is working hard to achieve this goal.
Apple's iPhones are already unofficially sold in China through grey market sellers, though the 3G features that bind the phones to various online services are not operable on those unlocked iPhones when used in China.

China Telecom To Launch CDMA-based iPhone 4S

Chinese telecom operator China Telecom has reportedly reached an agreement with Apple to introduce the CDMA version of the iPhone 4S into China.
The latest news released by Chinese local media stated that China Telecom has been preparing for the launch of CDMA-based iPhone 4S; and the new product will be available at the end of February or the beginning of March 2012.
China Telecom has apparently set various packages for iPhone 4S with contracts, and their monthly costs range from CNY89 to CNY589. In addition, the operator is rumored to only provide iPhone 4S with contracts, but it has not yet been officially confirmed.
Under the rules and regulations in China, a new mobile phone product should obtain a network license issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and a 3C license issued by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China before entering the market. Prior to the Chinese New Year, China Telecom gained the network license for the CDMA-based iPhone 4S, and the launch of the product is subject to the issuance of the other license.
According to information published on the official website of MIIT, the license number of CDMA-based iPhone 4S is 02-8573-120476, with a valid period of five years.

Sky announce new Internet TV service

Sky has today announced that a new Internet TV programme will soon be available, also the arrival of a fibre optic broadband service from April.
The Internet TV service will deliver movies and sports programming to those without a full Sky subscription. There will be pay-monthly packages, and pay-as-you-go streams.
The fibre optic broadband service will allow customers to access download speeds of up to 40Mbps for £20 a month -- and free Wi-Fi for subscribers -- Broadband Unlimited customers will get free access to more than 10,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across the UK.

Story Source: http://corporate.sky.com/media/press_releases/2012/sky_to_launch_new_internet_tv_service

Facebook shares on offer

Facebook is about to start the process of becoming a publicly-listed company according to sources.
The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal have both stated that Facebook is due to file papers with the US Financial watchdog on Wednesday, (1st Feb, 2012).
Flotation will raise an estimated $10 billion later this year, making it one of the biggest share sales in Wall Street history.
Facebook is currently valued between $75-$100 billion, (approx. £50 billion).
Facebook have so far refused to comment.

Story Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16779779

Nintendo Wii U due out this year

The latest console from Nintendo, the Wii U, is due for release by the end of 2012.
Nintendo are planning to launch their own online gaming programme called Nintendo Network in an attempt to rival the Xbox and PlayStation.

The online gaming platform will play host to "competitions and communication among users, as well as the sales of digital content," and will also launch Nintendo personal user accounts.

The new 'U' controller will feature NFC capabilities in order to "read and write data via non-contact NFC and to expand the new play format in the video game world", according to Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata.
Story Source: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/44178/nintendo-wii-u-coming-2012

Apple announce record quarter figures

Apple has announced record figures for it's first fiscal quarter of 2012 which spanned 14 weeks and ended on December 31st, 2011.
During this period Apple sold 37.04 million iPhones, 15.43million iPads, 15.4 million iPods and 5.2million macs.
“We’re thrilled with our outstanding results and record-breaking sales of iPhones, iPads and Macs,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO in a press release.
“Apple’s momentum is incredibly strong, and we have some amazing new products in the pipeline.”
A record turnover for the quarter meant Apple amassed a net profit of $13.06 billion.

Story Source: http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/01/24Apple-Reports-First-Quarter-Results.html

Yahoo co-founder resigns

Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang has resigned from the company.
The resignation comes just two weeks after former PayPal executive Scott Thomson was appointed Yahoo's new Chief Executive.
Mr. Yang founded Yahoo in 1995 with David Filo.
In a statement, Mr. yang said; "The time has come for me to pursue other interests outside of Yahoo!".

Story Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16602041

£6.5 million prize on offer for inventor

A $10 million (£6.5 mill) prize has been offered to researchers who can create a Star-trek like medical gadget that is capable of capturing 'key health metrics and diagnosing a set of 15 diseases'.
The Qualcomm Tricorder X Prize was launched at the CES in Las Vegas and must weigh a maximum of 5lb.
So come on Trekkies, get inventing!

Story Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16518171

60 new apps for Facebook Timeline

Facebook has announced 60 new apps for it's Timeline sharing programme.
Known as 'frictionless sharing', the new apps allow users to share music, photos, favourite destinations and profile preferences, within their new Timeline structure.
Developers are expected to add many more apps as Facebook encourage people to spend more time online and thus generate more advertising revenue.
"We think that thousands of applications will be built on this platform in the coming weeks and months," said Carl Sjogreen, Facebook director of platform products, at the launch of the apps in San Francisco.
Find out more on the Facebook blog at; http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=10150469721182131

Story Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16625159

Apple iPhone 4S Prices Announced In China

China Unicom, the exclusive operator partner for Apple's iPhone smartphones in China, has announced the contracted prices for iPhone 4S, starting at CNY5,880.
According to China Unicom, the contracted prices for 16GB iPhone 4S is CNY5,880; for 32GB is CNY6,999; and for 64GB is CNY7,999. Meanwhile, users can choose ten different mobile fee packages with monthly prices ranging from CNY66 to CNY886.
China Unicom announced solutions for users who want to gain the iPhone 4S products for free. For those who want the 16GB and 32GB versions, they can sign a three-year contract with monthly package of CNY286; and those who want the 64GB version need to sign a three-year contract with monthly package of CNY386. If the users prefer a two-year contract, they need to pay CNY386 each month for 16GB; or a CNY586 monthly package for 32GB and 64GB phones to gain the smartphones for free.
Apple announced that it will start selling the iPhone 4S in 21 countries and regions, including the Chinese mainland, from January 13, 2012. The retail prices for the iPhone 4S without contracts are CNY4,988 for 16GB, CNY5,888 for 32GB, and CNY6,788 for 64GB in mainland China.
Meanwhile, the Chinese electronics and home appliances retailer Suning has announced that it has started accepting orders for the iPhone 4S. Customers who pay the CNY200 deposit will be first in line to get the new iPhone 4S.

Asus To Launch Android-powered Eee Pad In June 2010

According to Jonney Shih, chairman of the Taiwanese PC maker Asus, the company plans to unveil its tablet computer product Eee Pad in June 2010.
Prior to this, Shih said the company would unveil its Eee Pad during Computex Taipei 2010 held from June 1 to 5 and said the new product will be officially put into the market in the third quarter of 2010.
Shih said to compete with the iPad, the tablet computer released by Apple, Eee Pad has unique designs and functions. Eee Pad will reportedly adopt Google's Android platform, provide built-in USB ports, and support Flash.
The price of Eee Pad is estimated at between USD479 and USD510 and its sales volume is expected to reach 300,000 by the end of this year.

Dell To Launch Android Tablet In China

An executive from Dell has revealed that its eye-catching 10-inch tablet computer Streak 10 Pro will be first launched in the Chinese market.
John Thode, Dell's manager for mobile business and vice president, told local media that the Android-based Streak 10 Pro will have its debut launch in China this summer, and consumers in America will have to wait until next year. He believes the American market cannot provide a possible growth environment for this new product of Dell.
Prior to this, Dell launched a small tablet Dell Streak 7 and a mixed device Inspiron Duo in the U.S.; however, it has not developed a powerful tablet computer product that can compete with Apple's iPad.
Amit Midha, chairman for Dell Greater China, said the Chinese market is very important for Dell. China has the largest scale and second highest growth speed among emerging markets and it is the second largest market following America, said Midha, so the shipment in China is expected to exceed America in the next few years.
Midha revealed that by the end of 2011, there will be 10,000 stores selling Dell products in China and its customer service center in the country will be increased to 2,000.
Dell Streak 10 is reportedly the company's third tablet computer product and its first 10-inch Android tablet.

Apple introduce iBooks Author

Apple have introduced iBooks Author, a brand new iPad app that allows anyone to create their own books.
Released to compliment Apple iBooks 2.0, Author's aim is to create the latest in text books available for the educational market.
The textbooks will sell for $14.99, (£9.64), and will belong to the student.
Textbook publishers Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Pearson, and McGraw Hill, representing nearly 90% of the textbook publishing market, are on board. Additional partners include DK Publishing and E.O. Wilson, both of whom introduced new textbooks Thursday.
Author is a desktop publishing programme that allows people to create their own textbooks with galleries, media and other aids to enhance the author's ebooks.
There is, however, a section in the licensing agreement that states;
“IMPORTANT NOTE: If you charge a fee for any book or other work you generate using this software (a “Work”), you may only sell or distribute such Work through Apple (e.g., through the iBookstore) and such distribution will be subject to a separate agreement with Apple.”
Always a catch!

Story Source: http://www.apple.com/ibooks-author/

New Blackberry President For China As Prices Drop

Research In Motion, the Canadian smartphone maker known for its BlackBerry brand, announced that Alex Lambeek will become its new president for the China region.
Prior to this, rumors were swirling that RIM would soon make adjustments to its Chinese market strategy. With this news, Gregory Shea, former president for RIM China, will become an adviser for the China region. At the same time, Alex Lambeek, former vice president of sales for China and vice president of marketing for Asia Pacific, will take the Shea's previous RIM job.
The new appointment has been officially announced by the company; meanwhile, Lambeek will continue his role as vice president of marketing for Asia Pacific.
Lambeek joined RIM at the beginning of 2011 and has been taking the responsibility for marketing in Asia Pacific. Prior to that, he worked for Nokia in Asia Pacific and many other countries around the world, leading the entry-level phones department worldwide, especially targeting the emerging Chinese, Indian, and Indonesian markets.
RIM will apparently readjust its strategy for the Chinese market in 2012 by diminishing its handset partnerships with operators and greatly increasing its retail channels, including new BlackBerry sales outlets and handset experience stores. RIM will also lower the price of its products in China, and will introduce BlackBerry Internet Service pricing subsidies.

High-end Smartphones From ZTE Shipping Soon To America

Cheng Lixin, ZTE's president for North America, said that the company plans to launch high-end smartphones for the U.S. in 2012.
Previously, ZTE was best known for making low-end phones and for being a broadband integrator. The announcement marks its entry into the high-end phone market, where it will face competition from smartphone giants like Apple, HTC, and Samsung.
Cheng believes it is a rare opportunity for ZTE to enter the U.S. high-end phone market. The company expects the U.S. to become its largest consumer market by 2015.
Though Cheng did not disclose many details about the new smartphones, the company's new products may use the Android and Windows phone operating systems based on its existing product line. For pricing, he said with similar features as iPhone, their new products will be more affordable. He also revealed the company is talking with the four major carriers in the U.S. about the phones.
During the third quarter of 2011, ZTE's phone sales in the U.S. achieved a year-on-year increase of 157%, showing strong growth momentum, said Cheng.
ZTE already has a presence in the U.S. market, but they only released phones of the lower-end variety, and are available on pre-paid networks, like Boost Mobile, MetroPCS and Cricket Wireless. AT&T is the only major national network that carriers ZTE handsets.

Auto IE updates in 2012 say Microsoft

Microsoft has announced that it will be automatically update Internet Explorer (IE) from January 2012.
Future updates will be applied without the knowledge of the user in an attempt to help beat scammers offering fake updates, users can, however, opt out and chose their own upgrade pace say Microsoft.
Ryan Gavin, Microsoft's IE boss, explained the plan in a blog post.
"We want to make updating to the best protection possible as fast and simple as we can for Windows customers. IE is how millions of Windows customers connect to the Web, so keeping that part of Windows updated at all times is critical to keeping them safe online. With automatic updates enabled through Windows Update, customers can receive IE9 and future versions of Internet Explorer seamlessly without any "update fatigue” issues."
Further information can be found at; http://windowsteamblog.com/ie/b/ie/archive/2011/12/15/ie-to-start-automatic-upgrades-across-windows-xp-windows-vista-and-windows-7.aspx

Huawei Will Invest USD150 Million In India In 2012

Chinese telecom equipment maker Huawei has announced plans to invest up to USD150 million in India in 2012 to promote its business growth.
Sures Vaidyanathan, Huawei's spokesperson in India, told local media that Huawei is committed to the long-term development in India, and it will accelerate the development of enterprise business, terminal business, 2G capacity expansion, 3G and LTE technical platforms.
Huawei provides equipment to operators to help them offer these technologies to end-users. Huawei's Indian branch is one of the largest information and communications technology companies in the local market and it is also one of the largest broadband equipment suppliers.
Over the past ten years, Huawei has invested USD1.5 billion in the development, business, market, and manufacturing base in India, establishing the marketplace as its hub for resources and corporate social responsibility. So far, the Indian market contributes 3% of the global net income of Huawei. In 2010, the Chinese company's total revenue was CNY185.176 billion.
Huawei's major income source in India is the traditional operator business, followed by enterprise and mobile device businesses. For the year of 2012, the company plans to balance its revenue from these three sectors, said Vaidyanathan.

App download record smashed

App downloads broke an all time record high in the last week of December, 2011, according to analyst firm Flurry.
According to figures, 1.2 billion apps were downloaded in the Christmas week, buoyed by users given new devices given as presents and discounted app offers.
The US was responsible for nearly half of all downloads, followed by China, with 99mill app downloads
The UK downloaded 81 million apps, beating Canada (41 mill), closely followed by Germany and France both downloading 40 million.
In Flurry's most recent report, they estimated that a record-breaking 6.8 million iOS and Android devices were activated on Christmas Day, along with an equally record-breaking 242 million application downloads.

Apple iTV on the way?

Apple have ordered component parts to make iTV sets in 2012 according to sources.
Digitimes, quoting Korean media sources, reports that Apple will be focusing on 32 inch and 37inch sets using Samsung electronic chips and Sharp displays.
Apple TV launched a set top box in 2006 but the new sets will incorporate the technology into a whole TV package.
The new iTV will be released late in 2012 according to rumours.