http://www.informationweek.comInformationWeeken-usCopyright 2012, UBM LLC.2013-05-20T15:15:00ZSony's new premium Android tablet has a lot going for it. Will it be enough to get Sony back in the tablet game?http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/xperia-z-sonys-tablet-reboot/240155217?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --><div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/10-ways-microsoft-could-improve-the-surf/240154051"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/987/Microsoft-Surface-homepage_tn.jpg" alt="10 Ways Microsoft Could Improve Surface Tablets" title="10 Ways Microsoft Could Improve Surface Tablets" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">10 Ways Microsoft Could Improve Surface Tablets</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span> </div><!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->Sony Monday announced worldwide availability of its Xperia Tablet Z Android tablet. The device, announced earlier this year, represents Sony's attempt to lay claim to the premium Android tablet market: it is thin, light, and big on features. <P> For starters, the <a href="http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/products/tablets/xperia-tablet-z/">Xperia Tablet Z</a> boasts a 10.1-inch HD Reality Display with 1920 x 1200 pixels. The screen is an LCD touch panel that makes use of Sony's Mobile Bravia Engine 2 for enhanced clarity and richer detail. Sony has done a commendable job at porting its television technology to its small-screen devices, and the Xperia Tablet Z benefits from Sony's expertise in that regard. <P> Sony spared no expense to make the Tablet Z an attractive and useful piece of hardware. It measures just 6.9 mm thick and weighs 1.1 pounds. The 9.7-inch iPad, in comparison, weighs 1.46 pounds. In addition to its thin profile and reduced weight, the Tablet Z is water resistant and can withstand submersion for up to 30 minutes in 1 meter of water, water jets, and blowing dust. The screen's tempered glass is protected by an anti-shatter film. It's not fully rugged, but it is certainly tougher than many other tablets on the market today. <P> <strong>[ Android takes the lead over iPad in the tablet race. Read <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/android-tablets-edge-out-ipad-idc/240154083?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Android Tablets Edge Out iPad: IDC</a>. ]</strong> <P> Under the hood, the Tablet Z is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, with each core clocked at 1.5 GHz. This is paired with 2 GB of RAM and an Adreno 320 GPU for added horsepower. The Tablet Z features Sony's Stamina Mode, which can be used for power management, although Sony didn't specify how long the Tablet Z offers continuous operation. It includes 16 GB of on-board storage and supports microSD cards up to 64 GB for additional storage. The Tablet Z runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box. <P> As with most of Sony's top-of-the-line products, the Tablet Z's camera is no slouch. It rates 8.1 megapixels and uses Sony's Exmor R mobile image sensor, which supports HDR imaging and HDR video for the best possible low-light performance. It can record 1080p HD video, and has a 2-megapixel HD user-facing camera for video chats. <P> On the connectivity side, Sony loaded the Tablet Z with most modern radios, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, GPS/GLONASS, and select GSM, EDGE, HSPA+ and LTE bands. The device supports MHL (HDMI via microUSB) for connecting to television sets, a standard headphone jack, and strong software tie-ins with Sony's extensive PlayStation services. <P> The tablet is, of course, compatible with a wide range of Sony's living room-focused accessories. <P> The Xperia Tablet Z is an excellent effort from Sony, but it has a lot of competition. The iPad has the high-end tablet market well in hand, and Samsung is gunning for it in a big way. Given the market preference for smaller-screen tablets (less than 8 inches), it is hard to say how well Sony's latest offering will fare. The Tablet Z's thin and light design and waterproof features set it apart, to be sure, but the price will play a big role in its success. The tablet starts at $499 but pricing varies by region.2013-05-20T13:47:00ZGroup of former Nokia employees have developed a new smartphone that will run Android apps.http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/jolla-debuts-smartphone-with-sailfish-os/240155237?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/10-best-and-worst-cellphones-of-all-time/240152362"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/975/Best-Worst-Cellphones-screen-1_tn.png" alt="Best And Worst Cellphones Of All Time" title="Best And Worst Cellphones Of All Time" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">10 Best And Worst Cellphones Of All Time</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->Jolla finally got around to announcing its first smartphone today, months behind schedule. The company had expected to deliver its first device to the market by the end of the second quarter of the year. Though Jolla announced the new device today, it isn't expected to ship until the end of 2013. <P> The new smartphone, simply called the Jolla, is <a href="https://join.jolla.com/en">the first effort from a small Finnish company</a> formed by ex-Nokia employees who were bent out of shape about Nokia's plans to ditch its Meego platform for Windows Phone. Meego, Nokia's blend of the Maemo and Moblin Linux platforms, runs on the Nokia N9, which is the one and only device from Nokia to run the operating system. Nokia has since abandoned both Meego and the N9. <P> Formed in July 2012, Jolla is staffed by directors, engineers and core professionals from Nokia's former Meego N9 team. It is backed by venture capitalists. At the time of its 2012 launch, Jolla's employees had been working on the operating system since late 2011. They added their own Mer Core and Qt (development platforms) to help speed up Meego's evolution. Though the new phone is based on the remnants of Meego, the operating system now has a new name: Sailfish. <P> <strong>[ Meanwhile, Nokia lightens up its smartphone design. Read <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/lumia-925-trades-metal-for-plastic/240154825?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Lumia 925 Trades Metal For Plastic</a>. ]</strong> <P> Sailfish was designed to be a modern, touch-based operating system with a friendly, easy-to-use interface. It can run on low-end and high-end hardware. The company released a video detailing Sailfish in late 2012, which depicted the UI with cards and swiping gestures that will look familiar to anyone who used Palm's webOS platform. The cards are used to manage the home screen, apps and multitasking. The company enlisted ST-Ericsson to make chips for the device and scored support from Finnish carrier DNA, which agreed to sell Sailfish-based phones. <P> The Jolla's spec list reads like that of a typical mid-range Android smartphone: It features a 4.5-inch screen, believed to be 1280 x 720p HD, has a dual-core processor of unknown make, and it will support LTE 4G networks. It includes an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, microSD cards for expandable memory, removable batteries and interchangeable shells for device personalization. <P> Jolla said the device will run Android applications but didn't specify how -- so there's no word if they'll run in an emulator or will be supported natively by the operating system. One thing is certain: the people at Jolla are smart enough to know that they need apps to compete in today's smartphone market. Without the ability to run numerous Android (or other) apps, it's a safe bet that Jolla would see little uptake from consumers. <P> Jolla hopes that its device will serve as an alternative for carriers that want to offer something other than Android, BlackBerry, iOS and Windows Phone. The Jolla will cost 399 euros and will reach stores by the end of the year. <P> <iframe width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sduBRkYQ9eY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <P> <i>E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! </i>2013-05-18T09:06:00ZGoogle will begin selling a stock-Android variant of the Samsung Galaxy S4 in June. It is worth the hefty $649 price tag?http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/googles-649-galaxy-s4-raw-deal/240155130?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/samsung-galaxy-s-iv-what-to-expect/240147656"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/945/Galaxy-S4-1st-slide_tn.PNG" alt="Samsung Galaxy S IV: What To Expect" title="Samsung Galaxy S IV: What To Expect" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle"> Samsung Galaxy S IV: What To Expect</div><span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->The only piece of "new" hardware announced during <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/google-io-3-hits-up-close/240155039">Google I/O</a> this week is a forthcoming version of the Samsung Galaxy S 4 that will be sold without Samsung's TouchWiz user interface. The device will be unlocked and can work on either AT&T's or T-Mobile's networks in the U.S. The cost is significant, though, at $649. Who is this phone for? <P> First and foremost, this GS4 variant will act a lot like a Google Nexus-branded device, but without the actual Nexus branding. That means it will run a clean, unaltered version of Android 4.2.2 when it ships. Some call it stock Android; it's the way Google envisions Android should look, feel and behave. The biggest benefit this offers is timely system updates. As with the other Nexus gear out there, the naked GS4 will receive system updates as soon as Google prepares them. For users who always want to have the most recent version of Android, this is the way to go. <P> Further, it will have an unlocked bootloader. This means owners won't have to root it if they want to install custom operating system builds. Most Android handsets ship with a locked bootloader, which makes installing custom ROMs a troublesome process that requires rooting. Rooting carries a small risk of bricking the handset. Owners of this unlocked GS4 won't have to worry about performing that step should they decide to modify the software. <P> <strong>[ For more news from Google I/O, see <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/business/google-io-wheres-android/240155015?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google I/O: Where's Android?</a> ]</strong> <P> By ditching TouchWiz and sticking with stock Android, this version of the GS4 loses a lot, too. Some of the best features of the Galaxy S4 are <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/samsung-galaxy-s-4-does-software-magic/240150839">the innovative applications and features added by Samsung</a> to the base Android experience. Take the camera, for example. The Google GS4 won't have any of the fun and creative shooting modes offered by the Samsung GS4, such as Drama Shot, Eraser Shot, Best Photo, and others. In fact, the stock Android camera is a fairly simple affair. Along with the camera innovations, you can say goodbye to Samsung's Story Album app, which lets you create digital photo albums and order prints. <P> Other missing features include the TV remote control software and WatchOn, Samsung's video discovery service. No Air View and Air Gesture for interacting with the screen without touching it. No Smart Scroll or Smart Stay for using your face and eyes to control the browser or video content. No S Health to monitor your activity, exercise and food intake. Last, no multitasking in multiple windows on the screen. <P> You do get an excellent piece of raw hardware, though. The GS4 has a fantastic 5-inch HD display, quad-core processor, 13-megapixel camera, expandable storage, LTE 4G and so on. <P> Ah, but what about the price? If you want to buy the Samsung Galaxy S 4 from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile USA or Verizon Wireless without signing a contract, they'll ask the same $649 for it. That's the actual retail cost of the phone. (Remember, U.S. operators subsidize the cost to get the price point down to more palatable levels.) For many, that $649 is worth the cost to get an unlocked device running a stock version of Android. (It's also <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/unlocked-iphone-5-worth-the-cost/240142991">the same price you'll pay</a> to buy an unlocked version of the Apple iPhone 5.) <P> If $649 is too pricey but you still want an unlocked, stock Android device, Google still sells the LG-made Nexus 4 for $299/$349. <P> In the end, it boils down to your priorities. If you're the type who likes to tinker with your handset's software, either the Nexus 4 or the Google Galaxy S 4 is a fine choice. The GS4, however, gives you LTE, a better camera, and a better screen when compared to the Nexus 4. If you're not into modding your device and you might miss the features added by Samsung, then stick with a regular version of the Galaxy S 4 sold by the carrier of your choice.2013-05-17T12:02:00ZBlackBerry and Google have both expanded their messaging services to competing platforms, but for different reasons.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/messaging/bbm-vs-google-hangouts-whats-at-stake/240155072?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/blackberry-10-visual-tour-of-next-gen-pl/240147378"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/944/01_P1080161_tn.JPG" alt="BlackBerry 10: Visual Tour Of Smartphones, OS" title="BlackBerry 10: Visual Tour Of Smartphones, OS" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle"> BlackBerry 10: Visual Tour Of Smartphones, OS</div><span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->BlackBerry on Tuesday announced that its BlackBerry Messenger product, long heralded as one of the company's defining services, would be available to Apple's iOS platform soon and to Google's Android platform later this summer. Similarly, Google on Wednesday completely overhauled its Google Talk app, changed the name, and made a separate version available for the iPhone. <P> Is playing nice with their competitors going to get BlackBerry and Google anywhere? <P> Some argue that BlackBerry Messenger, known as BBM, is BlackBerry's best chance of ensnaring customers. After all, the popular messaging service doesn't cost users anything, offers read receipts, and is secure. With BlackBerry 10, BlackBerry improved on BBM's foundation by endowing it with voice calls (via VoIP), video chats and even screen sharing. The app is a marvel for real-time communication between two people or even groups. It's also extremely sticky. Many customers stick with BlackBerry simply for BBM. <P> Why would BlackBerry give this app away to the competition? Because it has no choice. <P> <strong>[ For more Google I/O news, see <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/internet/google/google-io-jelly-bean-nexus-tablet-projec/240002846?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google I/O: Jelly Bean, Nexus Tablet, Project Glass</a>. ]</strong> <P> The rise of <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/10-mobile-chat-apps-that-beat-sms/240153747">competing over-the-top messaging apps</a> has eroded the stickiness of BlackBerry Messenger. During the keynote address this week at the company's BlackBerry Live developer conference, CEO Thorsten Heins said that BBM has 60 million monthly users. That sounds like a lot, until you compare it to the competition. WhatsApp, a popular cross-platform messaging app, counts more than 200 million monthly users. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/blackberry-scores-small-win-with-skype/240153640">Skype</a>, another cross-platform messaging app, is even bigger, boasting 280 million monthly users. That's more than four times the size of BBM's active user base. WhatsApp and Skype have been able to achieve those numbers because they run on Android, BlackBerry, iOS, and Windows Phone devices in addition to PCs. <P> If BlackBerry wants to grow its BBM user base, it needs to look beyond the walls of its meager platform, which <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/windows-phone-steals-third-place-from-bl/240155010">recently sunk to fourth place</a> among smartphone operating systems worldwide. Don't think for a second, however, that BlackBerry believes it will steal customers away from Android or iOS -- this is about keeping the customers it already has. If BlackBerry users can BBM their friends and colleagues who use Androids or iPhones, then perhaps they'll be less apt to switch away from BlackBerry. <P> It is noteworthy that BlackBerry chose not to make a version of BBM for Windows Phone, too. Clearly, it is targeting the number one and number two platforms for a reason: they have hundreds of millions of users. Microsoft has not revealed how many active users of Windows Phone exist, but surely the number doesn't compare to either Android or iOS. <P> But what about Google and its new Hangouts app? The app repackages the old Google Talk app (both on Android handsets/tablets and within Gmail/Google+) and modernizes it with new features. The unified app can handle messaging as well as video chats and works between handsets, tablets and PCs. Google also offered a version of the app to the iPhone, but not for the same reasons that BlackBerry expanded BBM. Google knows that iOS has a huge presence on the Web. Since <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/business/google-out-innovates-apple-on-iphone-app/240154410">the Web is where Google makes its money</a>, Google wants to make sure as many people as possible are using its products and services rather than its competitors'. Google Hangouts for iOS isn't about expanding its user base or preventing defections; it's about getting more eyeballs on its ads. <P> Where BBM's expansion to Android and iOS might help BlackBerry retain some of its subscribers (and let's face it, it needs all the help it can get), Hangouts' expansion to the iPhone is a revenue control measure. Both have a chance of being successful while also enriching their users' communications needs. <P> <i>E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! </i>2013-05-16T11:08:00ZGoogle announced numerous updates to individual Android apps during the I/O keynote, but a new version of Android was conspicuously missing.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/business/google-io-wheres-android/240155015?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computingGoogle made a slew of Android-related announcements on Wednesday, many of them centering on core Android functions. For example, Google offered developers a rich set of location tools and APIs to help improve the accuracy of location data while at the same time reducing the power needed to generate that data. Google's Cloud Messaging system now handles two-way syncing, so messages/notifications checked on one device will appear as read/checked on another device. <P> More forward-facing changes include a brand new music service that lets people stream radio stations to smartphones, tablets and desktops for $7.99 per month. Google also improved the functionality of Google Now by adding reminders and estimates on public transit arrival times. It dramatically improved its Google Talk application by merging it with Google+ Messenger. The new Google Hangouts app can be used to perform IM or video chats from smartphone to PC to tablet, and so on. (Google even released a Hangouts app compatible with iOS devices.) Further, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group said that Android will adopt the Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy spec, building the stack directly into the operating system. <P> Last, Google previewed the next generation of Google Maps for both the desktop and mobile devices. The new version of maps for Android (and iOS), besides having a redesigned user interface, will be able to dynamically reroute drivers if traffic conditions change ahead. It will also provide detailed alerts for certain types of traffic conditions. The new Google Maps won't be available until summer. <P> <strong>[ For more news from Google I/O, see <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/internet/google/google-io-day-1-music-maps-search-social/240154984?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google I/O Day 1: Music, Maps, Search, Social</a>. ]</strong> <P> Google updated many of the apps that use these services, including Google Play Music, Google Books, Google Talk/Hangouts, Google Search, and others to take advantage of the new features. <P> These are all <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/internet/google/google-io-day-1-music-maps-search-social/240154984">significant and welcome additions</a> and improvements to the Android we already know and love. They didn't help stem the feeling of disappointment, however, that Google chose not to introduce a new version of Android. <P> Google announced Android 4.2 Jelly Bean in October of last year, which followed the June announcement (at I/O 2012) of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Google announced Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in October 2011. The company has introduced a new version of Android about once every six months. The company was widely expected to provide another OS bump at I/O this year to Android 4.3. It didn't. <P> The company also failed to show off new Nexus gear. No one expected to see the Nexus 5, but an updated version of the Nexus 4 (including LTE) was supposed to be on deck. It didn't show up. Neither did the improved Nexus 7 tablet, which is said to be in production ahead of a July launch. The only hardware mentioned by Google was the stock Android version of the Samsung Galaxy S4. Google will sell the Galaxy S4 loaded with just native Android code (no carrier or Samsung bloatware) through the Google Play Store next month for the retail price of $649. It's not being called a Nexus device. <P> What does all this mean for the future of Android? Is Google waiting until later this year to show off a more significant update to its mobile platform? Why not show it off, even if only to preview it, at I/O? Surely Google has big plans for Android. It's highly possible that new Android chief Sundar Pichai wasn't yet ready to reveal anything about his plans for Android. He's been overseeing the platform for only a few months. <P> The problem is Google has left Apple an opening. Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference kicks off in a few weeks. The company is expected to preview the next version of iOS. The preview could give Apple plenty of focus and attention in the run-up to this fall, when the next-generation iPhone and iPad are expected. With no new version of Android to get worked up about, Apple and iOS 7 may steal the spotlight for a while.2013-05-16T10:30:00ZAndroid and iOS are in no danger of losing their incredible lead over the competition, but Microsoft's smartphone platform has made a significant move.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/windows-phone-steals-third-place-from-bl/240155010?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/8-things-microsoft-should-fix-in-windows/240154570"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/991/Windows-Blue-Blue-1st-screen_tn.jpg" alt="Windows Blue" title="LinkedIn: 10 Important Changes" class="img175" /></a><br /> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Things Microsoft Should Fix In Windows Blue</div> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> Microsoft desperately wants its Windows Phone platform to be the third ecosystem in the smartphone wars. Signs suggest that it might be able to pull it off. <P> Android and iOS are numbers one and two, respectively, and that is unlikely to change any time soon. Android shipped on an incredible 75% of all smartphones during the first quarter of the year. Total Android shipments reached 162.1 million devices compared to 90.3 million in the year-ago period. Apple's iOS is a distant second now. Its shipments of just 37.4 iOS devices gave Apple a 17.3% slice of the smartphone market. Apple lost nearly 6 percentage points to Google year-over-year. <P> Together, Android and iOS ran 199.5 million devices shipped worldwide, giving the two platforms a combined 92.3% of the smartphone market. Apple and Samsung alone <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/apple-samsung-chew-up-smartphone-profits/240154322">own all the profits</a> in the smartphone business. <P> <strong>[ Learn what's on tap for Google. Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/internet/google/google-io-day-1-music-maps-search-social/240154984?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google I/O Day 1: Music, Maps, Search, Social</a>. ]</strong> <P> For the first time, Microsoft's Windows Phone platform ranked third in terms of handset shipments, nudging out BlackBerry. In fact, the number of Windows Phone shipments more than doubled year-over-year from 3 million units during the first quarter of 2012 to 7 million during the first quarter of 2013. The increase gave it 3.2% of the smartphone market, still well behind Apple's iOS. Microsoft can thank its partnership with Nokia for boosting these numbers. Nokia was responsible for 79% of all Windows Phone sales during the quarter. To date, Nokia has shipped a total of 20.3 million Lumia smartphones. <P> "Windows Phone claiming the third spot is a first and helps validate the direction taken by Microsoft and key partner Nokia," said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. "Given the relatively low volume generated, the Windows Phone camp will need to show further gains to solidify its status as an alternative to Android or iOS." <P> BlackBerry saw a huge drop in device shipments year-over-year, but that is only telling half the story. During the first quarter of 2012, BlackBerry shipped 9.7 million smartphones and owned 6.4% of the market. But the company introduced no significantly new models until January 2013, when it launched the Z10. BlackBerry managed to ship 6.3 million devices during the first quarter of this year, which gives it 2.9% of the smartphone market. BlackBerry also <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/blackberry-brings-bbm-to-android-ios/240154828">announced the Q5</a> this week, which it will shop to emerging markets. This could boost its numbers going into the back half of the year. <P> The difference between Windows Phone's 3.2% share and BlackBerry's 2.9% amounts to just 700,000 devices. BlackBerry could easily regain third place if solid sales of the Z10 continue, and both the Q10 and Q5 are hits. The Q10 is already for sale in some markets, and reaches the U.S. in June. Given the pent-up demand for a good, QWERTY smartphone, the Q10 could be responsible for putting BlackBerry back into third place. Microsoft will need the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/lumia-925-trades-metal-for-plastic/240154825">Lumia 925</a> and Lumia 928 to be strong sellers to maintain its momentum against BlackBerry.2013-05-15T14:50:00ZOnly 10% of Americans would wear Google Glass regularly, according to a recent survey.http://www.informationweek.com/internet/google/most-americans-would-avoid-socially-awkw/240154978?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/cloud-computing/software/googles-10-best-gags-pranks-and-easter-e/240151036"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/965/Google_Gags_01_tn.jpg" alt="Google's 10 Best Gags, Pranks And Easter Eggs" title="Google's 10 Best Gags, Pranks And Easter Eggs" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle">Google's 10 Best Gags, Pranks And Easter Eggs</div><span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> Blame it on Fred Armisen and that <a href="http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/weekend-update-randall-meeks/n36353/">Google Glass-skewering <em>Saturday Night Live</em></a> skit. Google Glass may be one of the most interesting pieces of technology to come along in recent years, but the majority of Americans wouldn't be caught dead wearing them. <P> A survey conducted by <a href="http://www.bite-interactive.com/">Bite Interactive</a>, which collected responses from 1,000 people, revealed that only one out of 10 people in the U.S. would wear Google Glass regularly. The reason behind Americans' fear of Google Glass? They're "too socially awkward." Armisen made this point all too clear in a nationally televised parody of using them around other people. <P> "Google Glass represents a profound social barrier for the average consumer," Joseph Farrell, executive VP of operations at Bite Interactive, explained to Mashable, which posted <a href="http://mashable.com/2013/05/15/google-glass-study/">the study's results</a>. "At best, they see a Glass user as someone who prioritizes information access over a personal connection with others. At worst, they fear social sleights of hand: researching topics, recording video or Googling a person in mid-conversation." <P> Surely, the $1,500 price tag is an issue for many. Even if it cost dramatically less, however, 38% of respondents said they still wouldn't wear it. This isn't to say that Google Glass adoption isn't without hope. <P> <strong>[ Can Google eventually get the last laugh? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/google-glass-gets-smeared-11-improvement/240154378?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google Glass Gets Smeared: 11 Improvement Ideas</a>. ]</strong> <P> Of the 10% of people who said they'd wear Google Glass regularly, 44% cited the camera and picture-taking ability as their top interest. Other uses people liked included the ability to make phone calls, cited by 39% of people, and its video recording powers, cited by 37%. <P> "Google is leading the wearable technology bubble as it looks to define what the next consumer screen will be," said Farrell. "Google's past successes have occurred when they provide an innovative product that solves a real consumer need. However, with Glass it looks like Google risks exposing a serious disconnect between its pioneering technology and the key problem it solves." <P> Google Glass is currently in beta, but it is being tested publicly. It isn't expected to become widely available in a more consumer-friendly package until about this time next year. <i>InformationWeek's</i> Tom Claburn recently pointed out <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/internet/google/google-glass-etiquette-a-work-in-progres/240154551">how etiquette is still developing</a> around the product. It is certainly breaking new barriers in terms of technology and when and where it is appropriate to use items that can clandestinely take pictures. <P> "Overall, what Glass offers is combination of high social rejection with features the average person simply doesn't value over their current smartphone," said Farrell. <P> It is worth noting that there are about 140 million Americans who own smartphones. If only 10% of them buy or wear Google Glass, Google is still looking at a 14 million person market. That's no small shakes. <P> What do you think? Is Google Glass something you'd wear? Is the price going to be a barrier even if it's dropped below the $500 mark? What are the Google Glass features you find most interesting and potentially useful? Please dive in.2013-05-15T11:43:00ZSamsung's latest flagship smartphone is off to a roaring start, says the company.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/samsung-ships-6-million-galaxy-s4s/240154935?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/samsung-galaxy-s-iv-what-to-expect/240147656"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/945/Galaxy-S4-1st-slide_tn.PNG" alt="Samsung Galaxy S IV: What To Expect" title="Samsung Galaxy S IV: What To Expect" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle"> Samsung Galaxy S IV: What To Expect</div><span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->Samsung says it is on pace to break records with the Galaxy S4, its leading smartphone for the year. According to one executive, the device maker has already shipped some 6 million GS4s, easily besting the records set by previous generations of the same phone. <P> "As of the end of April, we supplied 4 million Galaxy S4 handsets to telecommunication operators around the world," an unnamed Samsung source told Korea's news daily <i>Chosun Ilbo</i>. Shipments of the phone didn't begin until April 26, meaning the company moved 4 million devices in just a few days. <P> "As of Friday [May 10], we have sold more than 6 million units, and we predict that we could break the 10-million mark by as early as the end of this month," said Samsung. <P> <strong>[ Galaxy's S4 breezes past HTC's competitor in early sales. Read more at <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/samsung-galaxy-s4-edges-past-htc-one/240154540?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Samsung Galaxy S4 Edges Past HTC One</a>. ]</strong> <P> All of Samsung's Galaxy S devices have been strong sellers, but <a href="http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2013/05/13/2013051301012.html#ystfuv">none have moved this quickly</a>. For comparison, it took Samsung 85 days to ship 3 million Galaxy S1s in 2010, 55 days to ship 3 million Galaxy S2s in 2011, and 21 days to ship 3 million Galaxy S3s last year. Samsung has shipped 6 million Galaxy S4s in just 19 days. <P> Samsung owes its success to a strong marketing push and extensive distribution agreements with wireless network operators all around the world. The company launched the device with much fanfare at an event in Radio City Music Hall last month, with a secondary event in Times Square. It has spared no expense to tout its latest flagship smartphone. <P> In the U.S., the GS4 is being sold by an army of carriers, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless, U.S. Cellular, Cricket and others. Earlier this month, Chitika reported <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/samsung-galaxy-s4-edges-past-htc-one/240154540">strong initial sales</a> of the device, and said that it is outselling its rival, the HTC One. <P> "The Galaxy S4 seems to already be picking up where the popular Galaxy S3 left off," said Chitika in its report. "With its impressive growth rate, along with the upcoming Verizon launch of the device, it's likely that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will become the latest hit device for the Korean company." Chitika's report was published before Samsung mentioned just how quickly the GS4 was picking up steam. <P> The Galaxy S4 has a 5-inch 1080p HD display, 13-megapixel camera, 1.9-GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 2 GB of RAM, and support for LTE 4G networks. It is packed with software features, such as Air Gesture and Smart Stay, though some might consider them gimmicks. <P> The Galaxy S4 sells for $199 to $249, depending on the storage option. <P> <i>E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! </i>2013-05-14T12:05:00ZBlackBerry World show sees introduction of Q5 smartphone and cross-platform BlackBerry Messenger.http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/blackberry-brings-bbm-to-android-ios/240154828?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/blackberry-10-visual-tour-of-next-gen-pl/240147378"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/944/01_P1080161_tn.JPG" alt="BlackBerry 10: Visual Tour Of Smartphones, OS" title="BlackBerry 10: Visual Tour Of Smartphones, OS" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle"> BlackBerry 10: Visual Tour Of Smartphones, OS</div><span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins had lots of news to share during the opening keynote of BlackBerry World, the smartphone maker's annual developer event. He took the stage to raucous applause from the BlackBerry faithful, who were not afraid to whoop and holler when they heard something they liked. They whooped it up quite a bit. <P> Heins saved the most significant announcement of the day until the very end of the keynote: BlackBerry is bringing its proprietary messaging platform, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), to Android and iOS devices. This is a monumental shift in strategy for BlackBerry, which has long kept BBM to itself and used it as a selling point for its devices and services. <P> BBM uses carrier data networks to pass secure messages back and forth through its servers to other BlackBerry users. The service recently gained the ability to make phone calls, conduct video chats and even share screen tops with other BBM users (requires BlackBerry 10). Normal chat and group chats will be the first features to hit the Android and iOS BBM apps, followed by the others (including voice and video) during the course of the year. BBM for Android and iOS will be free. <P> <strong>[ BlackBerry's latest device gets high marks. Read <a href="w.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/blackberry-q10-the-qwerty-phone-to-beat/240153505?itc=edit_in_body_cross">BlackBerry Q10: The QWERTY Phone To Beat</a>. ]</strong> <P> In addition to porting BBM to other platforms, BlackBerry announced BBM Channels, a new way for companies and brands to reach fans and followers. It is a social network that operates similarly to Twitter in that BBM users can follow the brands they like and view posts and content in a sequential stream. Regular BBM users can create their own channels and share with multiple people at once. This feature will come to Android and iOS devices, too. <P> BlackBerry also announced a new smartphone, called the Q5. The Q5 stems from the older Curve line and is a mid-range device aimed at emerging markets. BlackBerry didn't share too many features of the device, but it has a physical QWERTY keyboard, a 3.1-inch touchscreen (720 x 720 pixel LCD), camera, and 3G/Wi-Fi. This device will likely not be available in the U.S. It launches in Europe, Asia, India and Latin America later this year. Pricing was not released. <P> The company talked up BlackBerry OS 10.1. This minor update brings changes to the Hub, notifications and the camera, and makes BB10 devices compatible with Skype. BlackBerry is releasing the new operating system to the Z10 today, though exact availability will vary by region. It won't reach U.S. users until the end of the month. At the same time, BlackBerry released a full version of Skype for BB10 today (it was previously available as a preview). BlackBerry also made available BES 10.1 (free for a limited time), which reflects the changes in the base operating system. <P> Speaking of U.S. availability, Sprint, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless all said that the BlackBerry Q10 will be available soon. Both T-Mobile and Verizon said it would be in store shelves by June, but Sprint won't stock the Q10 until late summer. T-Mobile is the only carrier that mentioned a price: a down payment of $119, followed by 24 monthly payments. <P> One of the success points noted by Heins during his keynote was an update on the number of apps in the BlackBerry World Store. The company now has 120,000 apps available to BlackBerry smartphones. That's gaining on the 145,000 offered by Microsoft to Windows Phone devices. BlackBerry has done well in scoring developer support for BB10 so far, though it lags the 1.5 billion apps offered by Apple and Google combined. <P> In all, a positive collection of news bits from the BlackBerry maker, although the company still faces an uphill challenge against incumbents Android and iPhone. <P> <i>E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! </i>2013-05-14T11:25:00ZNokia's lighter, slimmer Lumia 925 shows that the company has been listening to customer complaints.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/lumia-925-trades-metal-for-plastic/240154825?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/10-best-and-worst-cellphones-of-all-time/240152362"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/975/Best-Worst-Cellphones-screen-1_tn.png" alt="Best And Worst Cellphones Of All Time" title="Best And Worst Cellphones Of All Time" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">10 Best And Worst Cellphones Of All Time</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->Nokia unveiled the Lumia 925 at an event in London today, the company's latest Windows Phone 8 device. The 925 uses a brand-new design but keeps most of the features found in the Lumia 920 and Lumia 928. <P> The big change is the form itself. Nokia has failed to score with the 920 in European markets because of the size and weight of the phone. It's one of the heaviest smartphones out there, weighing in at 6.53 ounces or 185 grams. Nokia took the criticism to heart and altered the chasses of the device to drop the weight and make in thinner. The 920/928 measure 10.7mm thick, and the 925 measures 8.5mm thick, a significant improvement. <P> In order to make these alterations, <a href="http://www.nokia.com/global/products/phone/lumia925">Nokia changed up the materials</a> used in the 925. Where the 920/928 relied solely on polycarbonates to form the outer shell of the phone, the 925 has an aluminum frame sandwiched between two panels -- one made of polycarbonate, and the other the glass display. The result is a slimmer and lighter smartphone sure to appeal to a wider range of potential buyers. <P> <strong>[ Nokia's entry-level Asha 501 is positioned to compete with Android. Read more at <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/nokia-asha-501-seeks-middle-ground/240154558?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Nokia Asha 501 Seeks Middle Ground</a>. ]</strong> <P> As Nokia <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/nokia-teases-high-end-camera-in-latest-s/240154689">hinted earlier this week</a>, imaging is the core feature of the Lumia 925. The device has a PureView 8.7-megapixel camera. It can record 1080p HD video, and is supported by new software for taking and manipulating photos. The user-facing camera rated 1.2 megapixels, and it is capable of shooting widescreen 1080p HD video as well. The lens uses high-tech optics, and the 925 includes optical image stabilization for the sharpest photos and video. <P> Beyond the form factor and camera, the 925 shares many features with the 920 and 928. For example, it has a 4.5-inch 1280 x 768 HD AMOLED display. The device has a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor. The phone will support HSPA+ and LTE 4G networks, though there's no word if it will support U.S.-specific networks. Other radios include GPS, NFC, Bluetooth and 802.11a/b/c/g Wi-Fi. <P> The device runs Windows Phone 8 ... which is perhaps its biggest problem. <P> Nokia has clearly reached the upper limits of what WP8 can handle in terms of hardware. As a platform, WP8 still doesn't support 1080p HD displays or quad-core processors, for example, which continue to hold Nokia and other Windows Phone OEMs from designing Android-killers. The Lumia 925 is certainly a solid effort from Nokia, and perhaps its best Windows Phone handset yet. On a spec-for-spec basis, though, it falls short of what the best Android handsets offer. <P> Nokia did more innovative stuff with the Asha 501, which was <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/nokia-asha-501-seeks-middle-ground/240154558">announced last week.</a> <P> The Lumia 925 will be available in select markets, beginning with Europe, before the end of the quarter. <P> <i>E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! </i>2013-05-13T11:00:00ZHigh-end camera will play a prominent role in the "Catwalk" smartphone Nokia will reveal Tuesday, according to a new TV commercial.http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/nokia-teases-high-end-camera-in-latest-s/240154689?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/10-ways-microsoft-could-improve-the-surf/240154051"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/987/Microsoft-Surface-homepage_tn.jpg" alt="10 Ways Microsoft Could Improve Surface Tablets" title="10 Ways Microsoft Could Improve Surface Tablets" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">10 Ways Microsoft Could Improve Surface Tablets</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> Nokia is holding a press conference Tuesday and dropping hints about it left and right. The latest teaser from Nokia arrives in the form of a commercial that shows slow-motion close-ups of a camera lens, a dual Xenon flash array and the metallic back surface of the unnamed smartphone. Hungry for more? <P> The London event, which will begin May 14 at 10 a.m. GMT (6 a.m. ET), will reveal <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/google-nokia-blackberry-news-mobile-week/240154625">the newest Lumia hardware from Nokia</a>, and the company is playing up expectations. The device Nokia plans to reveal is being called the Catwalk. The final, consumer-facing name hasn't been guessed, though Lumia 930 is a distinct possibility. The device will ditch Nokia's polycarbonate designs and instead use a mix of plastics and metal to offer a differentiated experience. <P> The camera will surpass the Lumia 920/928 in quality and should bear the PureView branding that Nokia reserves for its best imaging product. Nokia debuted the 808 PureView, a Symbian-based smartphone with a 41-megapixel camera, in February 2012. The camera may have produced fantastic images, but it was enormous and added incredible bulk to the 808. The Lumia 930/Catwalk promises to bring the best of the PureView technology to Nokia's Windows Phone line of devices in a much slimmer profile. The TV ad teases that the device will offer "more than your eyes can see," a reference to the incredible number of pixels Nokia is able to jam into the PureView sensors. The camera will include Nokia's optical image stabilization, as well, for sharper focus on both videos and images. <P> <strong>[ Investors appear to have Nokia's CEO on a short leash. Is the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/nokia-lumia-928-elops-last-hope/240154428?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Nokia Lumia 928 Elop's Last Hope?</a> ]</strong> <P> Camera technology has become the latest battleground in smartphones, with companies such as Apple, HTC and Samsung ramping up the features and capabilities of their imaging tools. <P> HTC's flagship for 2013, the One, includes a 4 "ultrapixel" camera. The pixels are three times larger than normal pixels to improve low-light performance. The camera can also capture what HTC calls Zoes, a collection of images and video that brings a short event to life in a novel way. Samsung's 2013 flagship device, the Galaxy S4, jumped up to a 13-megapixel imager and added a ton of features and modes to its camera software, such as the ability to record video with both cameras at the same time. Nokia offers a wide range of camera-based applications for its Lumia smartphones. It would be a surprise if Nokia doesn't show off one or two more when it launches the Catwalk in London tomorrow. <P> Nokia needs the Catwalk to find a solid niche with buyers who love good cameras, especially after the Lumia 928 snoozer. The company announced the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/nokia-928-from-verizon-hits-in-may/240153390">Lumia 928</a> for Verizon Wireless last Friday. It's not an exciting new handset at all. Instead, it is a warmed-over Lumia 920 with a Xenon flash and support for Verizon's LTE 4G network. <P> Here's the <a href="http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/120968-new-nokia-lumia-teased-in-channel-4-advert-ahead-of-tuesday-uk-reveal">new Nokia ad</a>, which was captured by Pocket-lint. <P> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ev9rdaDK-YQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <P> <i>E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! </i>2013-05-13T10:28:00ZClarifying some speculation before the Google I/O conference, Google says it has no immediate plans to combine Android and Chrome into one platform.http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/google-io-android-chrome-not-merging/240154709?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/samsung-galaxy-s-4-11-clever-tricks/240153554"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/983/galaxy-s4-keyboard_tn.jpg" alt="Samsung Galaxy S 4: 11 Clever Tricks" title="Samsung Galaxy S 4: 11 Clever Tricks" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">Samsung Galaxy S 4: 11 Clever Tricks</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> Hoping to see some exciting new hardware at this year's Google I/O developer conference? Don't get your hopes up. In a lengthy interview with <i>Wired</i>, Android head Sundar Pichai says this year's conference is going to be different. <P> "It's not a time when we have much in the way of launches of new products or a new operating system," <a href="http://www.wired.com/business/2013/05/exclusive-sundar-pichai-reveals-his-plans-for-android/">said Pichai</a>. "Both on Android and Chrome, we're going to focus this I/O on all of the kinds of things we're doing for developers, so that they can write better things. We will show how Google services are doing amazing things on top of these two platforms." <P> Pichai took over as head of Google's Android division earlier this year after longtime Android chief Andy Rubin decided to step aside. Before joining the Android team, Pichai led development for Google's Chrome browser and platform. His comments about new products fall in line with recent reports about <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/google-io-2013-preview/240154653">what Google might show off</a> at the conference. <P> For example, six months ago most people would have told you Android 5.0 would make its debut during I/O. In recent weeks, however, that expectation has been softened. At this point, only a modest update to Android, version 4.3, is expected to appear. That meshes with Pichai's "no new operating system" comment. There aren't any details about what new features might be included in Android 4.3. Further, rather than reveal the long-rumored Motorola X Phone, device watchers think at best the Nexus 4 smartphone and Nexus 7 tablet will see some spec updates, but not much more than that. Again, this falls in line with Pichai's comments above. <P> <strong>[ Learn more about Google's developer conference. Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/google-io-2013-preview/240154653?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google I/O 2013 Preview</a>. ]</strong> <P> Pichai during his interview offered a few other nuggets of wisdom concerning the thinking inside Google with respect to Android, Chrome and the Web. <P> For one, the company is looking into ways to smooth out the Android updating process, which is <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/security/mobile/android-smartphone-sellers-should-patch/240153205">horribly broken</a> at the moment. "We are thinking about how to make Android handle updates better," said Pichai. "We see ways we can do this. It's early days. We're talking with our partners and working our way through it. We need time to figure out the mechanics, but it's definitely an area of focus for me and for the team." <P> As it stands, Google pushes out new versions of Android about once every six months. That software then goes to the hardware makers, who need to figure out how to update each of their devices with the new code while still maintaining functionality. If it were only up to the OEMs, the process might not be so terrible. Unfortunately, the wireless network operators play a key role in updating device software. The approval process takes anywhere from three to six months. Hopefully Pichai's team can figure out something quickly. <P> Pichai said that Google was not surprised to see competitor Mozilla reveal Firefox OS, its own Web-based operating system for smartphones. The number of new smartphone platforms currently in development numbers at least a half-dozen, with many of them, such as Jolla and Tizen, relying on web-based standards for wide-ranging compatibility with hardware and applications. <P> Importantly, Pichai said quite clearly that the company has no immediate plans to combine Android and Chrome into one platform. <P> "We embrace both and we are continuing to invest in both. So in the short run, nothing changes," said Pichai. "The picture may look different a year or two from now, but in the short term, we have Android and we have Chrome, and we are not changing course." <P> During the run-up to I/O, there were suggestions that Google would merge its two platforms, though it wasn't clear which platform (and which features) might assert itself. Google is still developing Android and Chrome separately, but we've seen Android-first products, such as Google Now, head to the desktop, and desktop-first products, such as Google+ and Google Maps, head to the smartphone/tablet. <P> If Google chooses to combine these two platforms at a later date, it will be interesting to see how a blend of Android and Chrome comes together. Until that day, developers will have plenty to keep themselves busy. <P> <i>Mobile technology is changing the way we live, work and play. Attend <a href="http://www.mcommworld.com/sanfrancisco/?sourceCode=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Mobile Commerce World </a>, June 24-26 in San Francisco, to learn how to develop and deploy your company&#8217;s mobile commerce strategy. Spend three days learning from key players at Walmart, Amazon, Zappos, 1-800-FLOWERS, Advance Auto Parts, Alex and Ani, Groupon, REI, Vegas.com and more who are harnessing the power of mobile commerce. Register with code MP_BTMEDIWKAXE and save $200 on an All Access pass.</i>2013-05-11T09:06:00ZThe week of May 13, major players are holding events that could shake up the mobile landscape. Here's a sneak peak.http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/google-nokia-blackberry-news-mobile-week/240154625?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/10-best-and-worst-cellphones-of-all-time/240152362"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/975/Best-Worst-Cellphones-screen-1_tn.png" alt="Best And Worst Cellphones Of All Time" title="Best And Worst Cellphones Of All Time" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">10 Best And Worst Cellphones Of All Time</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->It's shaping up to be an exciting few days in the mobile industry as overlapping events being held by Nokia, BlackBerry, and Google promise new hardware, new software, and new technologies. All three companies have kept a fairly tight lid on what will be announced, but there's plenty of evidence to point us in the right direction. <P> Nokia will kick things off early in the morning on May 14 with a press conference in London that will show us what's next for its Lumia smartphones. Currently, Nokia is expected to reveal <a href="http://www.wpcentral.com/rumor-nokia-reveal-catwalk-london-may-14">one new smartphone</a>, code-named Catwalk. The model number will likely be Lumia 930. This device will be similar in many respects to the Lumia 920 and forthcoming Lumia 928, but with some changes to the design. <P> For starters, the Catwalk will ditch the solid polycarbonate design that Nokia has favored on its high-end devices for the last few years. Instead, it will be assembled from a mix of polycarbonate and aluminum. Adding aluminum will come at the expense of wireless charging, however. The Catwalk will be thinner and lighter than the Lumia 920, which was roundly criticized for its hefty size and weight. It will also feature a more advanced camera, a feature Nokia believes helps differentiate its products. Last, it will be preloaded with the latest version of Windows Phone 8. <P> <strong>[ Google is beating Apple at its own game, at least when it comes to iOS apps. Read <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/business/google-out-innovates-apple-on-iphone-app/240154410?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google Out-Innovates Apple On iPhone Apps</a>. ]</strong> <P> (Nokia announced the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/nokia-928-from-verizon-hits-in-may/240153390">Verizon-bound Lumia 928</a> on Friday morning. It will be available beginning May 16. Pricing wasn't announced.) <P> BlackBerry is holding its annual developer conference, BlackBerry Live, from May 13 to May 16 in Orlando. CEO Thorsten Heins won't hit the keynote stage until 9 a.m. May 14. Few details have leaked about BlackBerry's plans for the week, but there will certainly be news. <P> First, it is likely to provide application writers with new tools to create apps for its BlackBerry 10 platform. Though the company has already made mention of a small update to BB10 (BB10.1), BlackBerry will probably talk about new features headed to its fledgling smartphone platform later this year. <P> On the hardware side, BlackBerry and partners AT&T, Sprint and Verizon Wireless are expected to announce when they'll ship the Q10, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/blackberry-q10-the-qwerty-phone-to-beat/240153505">the QWERTY-equipped BlackBerry</a> smartphone. Announced earlier this year, the Q10 is on target for a late-May release in the U.S. In terms of new hardware, it is possible the company will roll out some mid-range smartphones, akin to the old Curve line, but chances are about 50-50. There's always hope that BlackBerry will offer some surprises, but that's looking less likely. <P> Google is going to be behind <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/google-io-android-letdown-ahead/240153979">the real fireworks</a> this week. Its annual Google I/O developer conference kicks off May 15 with a three-hour keynote that will be sure to impress. <P> The Android operating system is on deck for some new features, though Google isn't expected to provide a completely overhauled version of its smartphone and tablet operating system just yet. Instead of bowing Android 5.0, we're more likely to see Android 4.3, which will add features to the already excellent base of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. What those features are is anyone's guess at this point. <P> Looking for a new Nexus device? Don't expect to see a Nexus 5 smartphone. Instead, it appears as though the Nexus 4 will see a minor spec update (the addition of LTE 4G) and that's about it. There will be one or two new Nexus tablets, though. First, the Nexus 7 is expected to get a major overhaul, with an improved display, more storage, and a better processor. There's also word that a Samsung-made Nexus 11 tablet will make an appearance. <P> On the desktop side of the business, Google's Chrome OS will surely get plenty of attention during the keynote. Google has consistently updated its line of Chromebooks, and it is possible that a new low-end laptop will make an appearance at I/O this year. There have been clues of late suggesting that Google will introduce a new version of both Google Maps and Gmail, as well. <P> Perhaps the one piece of software that's garnering the most pre-I/O attention is Google Babel, or Babble, or Hangouts, or whatever its revised messaging platform will be named. Reports have been coming in for months suggesting that Google plans to unify its messaging services across platforms (Android, Chrome, desktop, etc.) into one product. It will encompass text messaging, instant messaging, video chats and possibly Google Voice features. <P> The Google I/O keynote will begin at noon on May 15. <P> <i>E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! </i>2013-05-10T09:31:00ZThe FCC wants faster Internet service available to airline passengers traveling at 30,000 feet. But this plan will take a while.http://www.informationweek.com/government/mobile/fcc-to-boost-wi-fi-on-planes/240154623?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --><div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/storage/data-protection/8-great-cloud-storage-services/240151180"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/967/Cloud_Storage_Services_01_tn.jpg" alt="8 Great Cloud Storage Services" title="8 Great Cloud Storage Services" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle">8 Great Cloud Storage Services</div><span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday outlined plans to establish a high-capacity, ground-based mobile broadband network that will improve the experience of browsing the Web when aloft. The idea is to use satellite spectrum to communicate more effectively with airplanes and thereby improve the in-flight Internet experience. <P> "Like many Americans, I have been frustrated by the lack of high-speed broadband service when I fly," said Commissioner Ajit Pai. "Some flights don't offer any broadband service at all. Others do, but speeds are usually much slower than what we enjoy on the ground, and it's expensive. So what does this mean? Lower productivity for business travelers and less enjoyable flights for vacationers." <P> There are already several systems in place. Gogo, for example, offers in-flight Internet through several U.S. airlines, including Delta. Pricing from Gogo ranges between $7 and $15 per flight, depending on the time spent in the air, or the number of flights being taken in a given trip. <P> <strong> [ Catch up on all the news from Interop Las Vegas 2013 with our <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/interop">complete Interop special report</a>. ]</strong> <P> Earlier this year, United Airlines installed Panasonic Avionics Corporation's Ku-band satellite technology on some of its wide-body aircraft in order <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/business/united-to-offer-wi-fi-on-flights/240146380">to provide Wi-Fi Internet service to passengers</a>. Internet service will first be offered on long-haul flights, followed later this year on shorter flights. United is offering two different speeds, and prices vary depending on those speeds and the length of the flight. <P> Don't get too excited by the FCC's new proposal, however, because the system will likely take years to fully implement. <P> The FCC <a href="http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/index.do?document=320825">took the first step this week</a>, which is to seek comment on the use of the 14.0 GHz to 14.5 GHz band for the network. This spectrum is already in use by the Fixed-Satellite Service (FSS), which has primary use of the spectrum. The government has secondary rights to this spectrum, and that's the slice of airwaves the FCC is proposing to use. Any new system put in place would have to protect the the FSS users from interference. Understandably, the satellite industry is already wary of the plan. <P> Further, the FCC is seeking comment on how best to carve up and license the airwaves in question. It is looking at two plans: one plan offers two 250-MHz blocks, and the other offers a single 500-MHz block. The FCC hopes the industry will provide details such as technical considerations, as well as provide input on how the auction for this spectrum should proceed. These steps alone will take six to 12 months to complete. <P> Qualcomm is one of the companies <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/business/qualcomms-vision-for-next-gen-airplane-w/232600335">behind the new push</a> to improve in-flight Wi-Fi. The company has earned billions developing the technologies, including the radios, processors and receivers, found in cell phones, tablets, mobile hotspots and laptops. With these markets maturing, Qualcomm is looking for another cash cow. Owning the airplane internet business could be Qualcomm's next big thing. <P> "Mobile broadband demand on board aircraft is exploding -- just as much, if not more so, than it is on the ground," said Qualcomm in a recent regulatory filing. "Current in-flight communication systems are either too expensive" or don't offer enough capacity. Hence the recent action taken by the FCC. <P> "We [took] an important step to improve in-flight broadband service," said outgoing FCC Chairman Julis Genachowski. "This service would help meet consumer demand by offering airline passengers access to better in-flight broadband and will increase competitive pressure on current systems to improve the quality of their in-flight services." <P> Eventually, that is. <P> <i>E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! </i>2013-05-09T12:31:00ZInitial sales data says Samsung's flagship smartphone is outselling HTC's.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/samsung-galaxy-s4-edges-past-htc-one/240154540?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/samsung-galaxy-s-4-t akes-a-bow/240150928"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/962/Samsung-Gala xy-S4-2013-03_tn.JPG" alt="Samsung Galaxy S 4 Takes A Bow" title="Samsung Galaxy S 4 Takes A Bow" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">Samsung Galaxy S 4 Takes A Bow</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->The stakes couldn't be much higher for HTC than they are right now. The One, HTC's flagship smartphone for 2013, launched last month to critical acclaim. Unfortunately for HTC, so did the Samsung Galaxy S4, the Korean phone maker's flagship device for the year. <P> The One is being sold by AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile USA. It will not be sold by Verizon Wireless. The <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/samsung-galaxy-s4-oozes-innovation/240153538">Galaxy S4</a> is also available from AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile USA, and it will reach Verizon Wireless later this month. The devices cost about the same: between $199 and $249 depending on the carrier and amount of storage inside. <P> The GS4 has taken an early lead over the One, according to data from mobile ad firm Chitika. The company <a href="http://chitika.com/htc-samsung-adoption">measured ad impressions across its network</a> to make this determination. Its data suggests that the GS4 was responsible for about 0.19% of all the mobile Web traffic in the U.S. between April 26 and May 6. By contrast, the HTC One, which went on sale about two weeks before the GS4, accounted for only 0.11% of mobile Web traffic between April 11 and May 6. <P> <strong>[ HTC has its work cut out ahead. Will the One help turn things around? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/htc-plays-catch-up/240154063?itc=edit_in_body_cross">HTC Plays Catch Up</a> ]</strong> <P> "The Galaxy S4 seems to already be picking up where the popular Galaxy S3 left off," said Chitika in its report. "With its impressive growth rate, along with the upcoming Verizon launch of the device, it's likely that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will become the latest hit device for the Korean company." <P> Of the HTC One, Chitika said that it "has started to make its mark in the smartphone market despite limited availability." Compared to the Galaxy S4, however, Chitika said, "It's evident that HTC still has ground to make up competitively." <P> Chitika also provided some interesting data about how the Galaxy S4 compares to its predecessors and which Samsung devices are still popular among U.S. consumers. <P> For example, the Galaxy S3 is responsible for 57.8% of all the mobile Web traffic for Galaxy-branded devices. The Galaxy S2 trails with 32.9%, and the 2010-era Galaxy S is still responsible for 7.6%. After just a few weeks in the market, the GS4 accounts for 1.7% of all mobile Web traffic coming from Samsung's Galaxy line of smartphones. Hopefully Chitika will update this data at the end of the quarter and again later this year so we can see how the GS4 continues to fare against its older siblings. <P> A similar breakdown of Web traffic from HTC's smartphones provides clues about the popularity of its devices. For example, the HTC EVO is the most popular HTC device on the market, responsible for 33.2% of HTC's Web traffic. The EVO was sold by Sprint and went on sale three years ago. That speaks volumes about HTC's success, or lack thereof, with its more recent smartphones. The 2010-era Droid Incredible followed the EVO, with 8.9% of HTC's Web traffic. Next up was last year's One X, with 5.9% of HTC's Web traffic. Rounding out the bottom are the One S with 4.2%, the One V with 3.5%, and the new HTC One with 1.9%. <P> The HTC One has a long, tough slog ahead of it. <P> <i>E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! </i>2013-05-09T11:45:00ZNokia's new phone, $99 without contracts or subsidies, will compete with low-cost Android devices in emerging markets.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/nokia-asha-501-seeks-middle-ground/240154558?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/10-best-and-worst-cellphones-of-all-time/240152362"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/975/Best-Worst-Cellphones-screen-1_tn.png" alt="Best And Worst Cellphones Of All Time" title="Best And Worst Cellphones Of All Time" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">10 Best And Worst Cellphones Of All Time</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->Nokia Thursday announced the Asha 501, a touch-based device that it will sell in emerging markets where the company hopes to better compete with low-cost Android smartphones. The 501 runs a new platform that Nokia is calling the Nokia Asha Platform. Nokia refers to the Asha 501 as a smartphone, but some might disagree with that label. <P> The 501 is a compact phone that includes a full touchscreen and the polycarbonate design language for which Nokia's Lumia smartphones are known. The capacitive screen measures 3 inches across the diagonal and provides QVGA resolution. The 501 is limited to GSM-based networks and includes Wi-Fi but not 4G. It offers 4 GB of internal memory for things such as apps, which can be expanded to 32 GB with the use of microSD cards. Its 3.2-megapixel camera can also capture video. The device includes the typical allotment of ports and jacks, including microUSB for charging and data transfer, as well as a standard stereo headphone jack. It is small and light, at 3.9 x 2.28 x 0.47 inches and 3.45 ounces. Last, Nokia claims the Asha 501 provides 48 days of standby time and 17 hours of talk time. <P> These meager hardware specifications mean the Asha 501 will be inexpensive: $99 without contracts or subsidies, which is what Nokia needs in emerging markets. It will go on sale in 90 countries later this quarter. <P> <strong>[ Will Nokia's upcoming Windows Phone be the hero the company needs? Read more at <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/nokia-lumia-928-elops-last-hope/240154428?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Nokia Lumia 928: Elop's Last Hope?</a> ]</strong> <P> As for the platform, Nokia has gussied up its Series 40 operating system (itself based on Java) with customizations carried over from Smarterphone, an acquisition Nokia made last year. Some of those customizations include what Nokia calls Fastlane, a swiping gesture that brings up the user's favorite set of apps, services and functions. This swiping gesture is available from anywhere within the user interface and includes the user's 50 most recent items or tasks. Nokia likens it to multitasking, or fast-app-switching. <P> Nokia also took pains to make sure the browser is up to snuff. The improved Xpress browser uses server-side compression to reduce the amount of data sent to the 501 over the network, an important feature to customers in emerging markets. <P> "The Asha platform is faster, more responsive and more flexible, too," said Nokia. "This means new features and functionalities can be anticipated with future updates. Developers will be able to create apps for the Nokia Asha 501 that will also be compatible with future Asha platform-based devices." As with smartphones, app compatibility is key. People don't want to buy devices that can't run a wide variety of apps. <P> Speaking of apps, Nokia says the 501 will include a handful of marquee apps out of the box, including Facebook, Twitter, The Weather Channel, and even some games, such as Big Little City and Real Football 2013. <P> Whether or not the Asha 501 will be enough to fend off widespread attacks from cheap Android smartphones remains to be seen. <P> <i>E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! </i>2013-05-08T11:36:00ZMotivated by more than 100 million iOS users, Google is developing better iPhone apps.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/business/google-out-innovates-apple-on-iphone-app/240154410?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/top-ipad-5-rumors/240153565"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/984/iPad5_NextGen_01_tn.jpg" alt="5 Apple iPad 5 Wishes" title="Top iPad 5 Rumors" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle">5 Apple iPad 5 Wishes</div><span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->Google recently released a new tool that lets iOS developers embed Google's Chrome browser within their iPhone applications. The idea is to keep iPhone users in the app instead of sending them to Safari when they do things like clicking on a Web link. As long as Google's Chrome browser is installed on that particular device, the iPhone user will have a more seamless experience in apps that take advantage of this new tool. <P> This is just the latest in a string of things Google has done to make Apple's iPhone a better device. <P> Earlier this week, Google provided a significant upgrade to the Gmail application for iOS. Similar to the tool mentioned above, the new features in Gmail let iPhone users go from the Google Gmail app to Google's Chrome, YouTube, or Maps applications rather than Apple's native browser, video app, or mapping products. <P> <strong>[ iOS is winning the mobile Web race -- but will it hold its lead? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/ios-boosts-web-traffic-us-market-share/240154367?itc=edit_in_body_cross">iOS Boosts Web Traffic, U.S. Market Share</a>. ]</strong> <P> Chrome for iOS, Google Maps for iOS, and YouTube for iOS are all excellent stand-alone apps that in some ways surpass those included on iOS devices from Apple. Chrome may still be limited by Apple's rendering engine, but its account syncing tools (desktop-to-mobile) are quite good. Google Maps outclasses Apple Maps in terms of ease of use, accuracy and features such as live traffic (although Apple Maps is still better at 3D flyovers in select cities). Google's separate YouTube app, which it re-released in late 2012 after Apple kicked it off the iPhone, was an improvement over the app it offered a year ago. <P> In other words, Google is making it easier -- and more appealing -- to keep iPhone users embedded within the Google experience even though they are using Apple's smartphone. Why is it doing this? <P> Google and Apple are clearly "frenemies" in that they rely on each other for some things but compete in others. Google's Android operating system launched 16 months after Apple's iOS did, but it eventually overtook iOS to become the dominant smartphone platform in the world. Apple has been fighting Google, both in the courtroom and out, to regain market share and take back its smartphone crown. Apple actively rid the iPhone of Google's services, only to eventually let them back in through the App Store after users complained about the Apple-only experience. <P> Why should Google care that iPhone users stick with Google's services? Probably because there are more than 100 million iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad users out there. Google is an advertising company, and it can't ignore that many eyeballs. <P> Apple and Google may be competitors, but Google knows that many iPhone users are affluent and more apt to spend money on items they see advertised on their iPhones or iPads. For that reason alone, Google will always cater to the iPhone crowd. <P> <i>E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! </i>2013-05-08T10:25:00ZNokia's upcoming Windows Phone could be CEO Stephen Elop's last chance to soothe dissatisfied investors.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/nokia-lumia-928-elops-last-hope/240154428?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/10-best-and-worst-cellphones-of-all-time/240152362"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/975/Best-Worst-Cellphones-screen-1_tn.png" alt="Best And Worst Cellphones Of All Time" title="Best And Worst Cellphones Of All Time" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">10 Best And Worst Cellphones Of All Time</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> Nokia needs a hero, badly. Despite its best efforts to make compelling Windows Phone smartphones, the company has not regained its lost market share. Investors are becoming impatient and want to see results. So far, there haven't been any of substance. There's a new smartphone on the horizon, however, that might give Nokia -- and CEO Stephen Elop -- one last chance to recover. <P> Let's rewind to February 2011. At an analyst event, then-new CEO Stephen Elop announced that the company would abandon Symbian, its homegrown operating system. Nokia called it a "burning platform," something from which it needed to jump to escape the fire. At that point, the iPhone and Android smartphones had decimated Nokia's once-powerful lead in the smartphone market. Elop convinced analysts and investors that this step was necessary, that it would help the company differentiate in the face of Apple and Google, and win back what it had lost. <P> Nokia and its line of Windows Phone products are certainly differentiated. They have their own approach to hardware design that really sets them apart. They have software that's customized beyond what Microsoft envisioned for its smartphone platform. In short, they are decent devices. But they aren't selling in the numbers that Nokia needs. Further, they aren't competing well with the iPhone and Galaxy S devices sold by Apple and Samsung at the high end of the market. <P> <strong>[ Is pitching a mock fit the best way to pitch a new phone? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/nokia-ceo-throws-iphone-talks-up-new-lum/240151494?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Nokia CEO Throws iPhone, Talks Up New Lumias</a>. ]</strong> <P> Earlier this week, Elop faced investors once again. They are not happy. <P> One shareholder, Hannu Virtanen, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/07/us-nokia-agm-idUSBRE9460LV20130507">spoke plainly to Elop</a>: "You're a nice guy and the leadership team is doing its best, but clearly, it's not enough. Are you aware that results are what matter? The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Please switch to another road." In other words, Virtanen believes that Nokia's choice to sell Windows Phones, rather than Android phones, was a bad one. <P> Nokia's Windows Phones are solid efforts, especially the top-tier ones, such as the 800, 900 and 920. All three show good design and innovative software. The 900 and 920 actually sold fairly well in the U.S. (compared to sales of Nokia's old Symbian handsets, anyway). <P> Later this month, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/nokia-928-from-verizon-hits-in-may/240153390">Nokia will fully unveil the Lumia 928</a>, its flagship smartphone for Verizon Wireless. This smartphone could be Elop's last shield with which to protect himself from antsy investors. The smartphone is shaping up to be a hero device in every sense of the word. Nokia has already <a href="http://www.nokia.com/us-en/lumia928">teased images</a> of it, as well as offered comparisons of its low-light camera powers. Pairing with Verizon Wireless, the country's biggest mobile network operator, could be what helps Nokia regain critical mass with American buyers. <P> If it doesn't, Stephen Elop may very well find himself out of a job. It doesn't help that Elop defended his decision to use Windows Phone, and admitted to investors (once more) that he has no Plan B. <P> "We make adjustments as we go. But it's very clear to us that in today's war of ecosystems, we've made a very clear decision to focus on Windows Phone with our Lumia product line," said Elop. "And it is with that that we will compete with competitors like Samsung and (Google's operating system) Android." <P> Investors have their doubts. If the Lumia 928 doesn't mark a significant change in direction for Nokia's smartphone sales, Elop could very well find himself out of a job in the months ahead. <P> <i>E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! </i>2013-05-07T15:01:00ZApple iPhones and iPads snagged 69% of mobile Web traffic in April, despite Android's advantage in device market share.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/ios-boosts-web-traffic-us-market-share/240154367?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/top-ipad-5-rumors/240153565"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/984/iPad5_NextGen_01_tn.jpg" alt="5 Apple iPad 5 Wishes" title="Top iPad 5 Rumors" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle">5 Apple iPad 5 Wishes</div><span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> Apple's iOS is the number one platform when it comes to surfing the mobile Web. New data from Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster shows that iOS made gains against Google's Android platform during the course of the last 30 days. <P> Muster reported that iOS snagged 69% of all mobile Web traffic for the month of April. Apple iOS saw a slight uptick compared to its share of mobile Web traffic in March, when it held 66.4%. Android dipped a bit during the same period, coming down from 28.7% in March to 26.5% during April. A small decrease, but a drop just the same. <P> But wait, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/android-tablets-edge-out-ipad-idc/240154083">doesn't Android outsell iOS</a> by a huge percentage in the U.S. at this point? Yes it does, but Munster has a few thoughts about that. <P> For starters, the data includes browsing behavior from both smartphones and tablets. <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57583177-37/ios-ups-lead-over-android-in-web-traffic-says-analyst/">Munster contends</a> that iPad owners are much more apt to use their devices to surf the mobile Web when compared to those who own Android-based tablets. Munster also thinks that iOS users -- specifically, iPhone owners -- are "more engaged" with their devices on a day-to-day basis than are owners of Android smartphones (whatever that means). Also, the Web traffic data comes from the U.S., where Apple has been more successful at selling iPhones in greater percentages than it has in markets outside the U.S. Last, the data compiled traffic results from only the top 10 of the top 100 websites. <P> <strong>[ iPad's diminutive little brother is winning the popularity contest with consumers. Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/ipad-mini-eating-ipads-lunch/240153978?itc=edit_in_body_cross">iPad Mini Eating iPad's Lunch</a>. ]</strong> <P> In other words, Munster's methodology gave Apple's iOS a bit of an advantage. He's not the only analyst with a bullish cast on Apple. Horace Dediu believes <a href="http://slashdot.org/topic/cloud/apple-ios-has-an-edge-on-google-android-analyst/">Apple could reverse iOS's downward trend</a> when compared to Android. <P> Dediu believes the U.S. market is nearing its smartphone saturation point, with 80% of all new devices expected to be smartphones by October 2014. That means hardware vendors will be fighting to snag people upgrading from smartphone to smartphone, rather than buying their first smartphone. Here, he gives iOS an edge thanks to what he attributes as the iPhone's rabid loyalty. <P> ComScore's data backs up Dediu's beliefs to a degree. Its latest information shows that of the 136.7 million Americans who owned a smartphone during the three months ending in March, 39% of them own iPhones. Despite the inexhaustible supply of new Android devices, the percentage of iPhones actually grew from 36.3% during the fourth quarter of 2012. <P> Google's Android platform shrank from 53.4% of all smartphones in the U.S. during the fourth quarter of 2012, to 52% during the first quarter of 2013. Debiu thinks this shows that Android has peaked, at least in the U.S. It's possible. <P> However you look at it, iOS has made some gains, albeit small ones, against Android in recent months.2013-05-07T11:22:00ZSamsung eats into Apple's profits in Q1, but the two smartphone giants' closest competitor took only 1% of the sector's profits.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/apple-samsung-chew-up-smartphone-profits/240154322?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/samsung-galaxy-s-4-11-clever-tricks/240153554"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/983/galaxy-s4-keyboard_tn.jpg" alt="Samsung Galaxy S 4: 11 Clever Tricks" title="Samsung Galaxy S 4: 11 Clever Tricks" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">Samsung Galaxy S 4: 11 Clever Tricks</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> BlackBerry, HTC, Nokia and Sony together account for 0% of all the profits in the smartphone industry. LG can brag to these companies about its success, because it holds about 1% of the industry's profits. Motorola, well, it is in the hole and has -1% of the smartphone industry's profits due to its continued losses. Huawei, Kyocera, Pantech and ZTE's collective profits don't even hit the scale. <P> It almost makes you wonder why these companies bother at all. <P> The rest of the profits -- all of them -- belong to Apple and Samsung, according to <a href="http://allthingsd.com/20130507/apple-samsung-share-of-smartphone-industry-profits-declines-to-100-percent/">data from Canaccord Genuity</a>. Globally, Apple captured a whopping 57% of the profits in the smartphone space during the first quarter of 2013. Samsung followed with 43% (the numbers add up to more than 100% due to rounding). It's hard to believe, but this quarter's numbers are actually a decrease from the fourth quarter of 2012, when Apple and Samsung took 103% of the profits. <P> <strong>[ Could a government stamp of approval change the smartphone market balance? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/blackberry-samsung-get-pentagon-nod-of-a/240154163?itc=edit_in_body_cross">BlackBerry, Samsung Get Pentagon Nod Of Approval</a>. ]</strong> <P> "Due to operating losses from smaller scale competitors, Apple and Samsung's combined share of industry profits have exceeded 100% in previous quarters," said Canaccord Genuity's T. Michael Walkley. "While Apple and Samsung continue to dominate the share of industry profits, improving cost structures and results from other OEMs have reduced Apple and Samsung's combined share to 100% from levels above 100% the past several quarters." <P> As it happens, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/smartphones-outpace-feature-phones-samsu/240153720">Samsung made significant gains</a> against Apple when comparing the companies' fourth-quarter profits. Apple held 72% of the profits during the last three months of 2012 (69% for the full year), while Samsung grabbed 29% (34% for the full year). This quarter's numbers reflect a large swing in Samsung's favor. <P> Walkley thinks this swing might accelerate during the second quarter of this year. "During the June quarter, we believe softer iPhone sales combined with strong Samsung Galaxy S4 sales could result in Samsung surpassing Apple for the top share of handset industry profits," he said. <P> The Galaxy S4 has reached most U.S. carriers in recent weeks. The <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/apple-iphone-5s-best-and-worst-rumors/240150387">Apple iPhone 5</a>, meanwhile, has been around for about eight months already, and a refresh isn't expected until September or October. Last year, the Galaxy S3 arrived at about the same time, and sales outpaced the iPhone 4S during the third quarter. Samsung may be setting itself up for a repeat of that performance. <P> Beyond <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/galaxy-s4-vs-iphone-5-display-shoot-out/240153722">the Apple-Samsung battle</a>, the hoped-for third ecosystem is nowhere in terms of profits nor market share. U.S. carriers would like to see another platform, be it BlackBerry, Windows Phone or other OS, gain strength against Apple's iOS and Google's Android. Based on profits and market share, that's not happening anytime soon. <P> <i>Mobile technology is changing the way we live, work and play. Attend <a href="http://www.mcommworld.com/sanfrancisco/?sourceCode=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Mobile Commerce World </a>, June 24-26 in San Francisco, to learn how to develop and deploy your company&#185;s mobile commerce strategy. Spend three days learning from key players at Walmart, Amazon, Zappos, 1-800-FLOWERS, Advance Auto Parts, Alex and Ani, Groupon, REI, Vegas.com and more who are harnessing the power of mobile commerce. Register with code MP_BTMEDIWKAXE and save $200 on an All Access pass.<i>2013-05-06T11:33:00ZiPad users can't get anything done, says Gates. The solution? Microsoft's Surface tablet, of course.http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/bill-gates-ipad-users-frustrated/240154235?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --><div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/10-ways-microsoft-could-improve-the-surf/240154051"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/987/Microsoft-Surface-homepage_tn.jpg" alt="10 Ways Microsoft Could Improve Surface Tablets" title="10 Ways Microsoft Could Improve Surface Tablets" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">10 Ways Microsoft Could Improve Surface Tablets</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span> </div><!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->Bill Gates took to CNBC today to pitch Microsoft's line of Surface tablets, and he had some choice words for Apple's iPad and similar tablets. "A lot of those users are frustrated," said Gates. "They can't type, they can't create documents, they don't have Office there." <P> Gates pegged current tablets' lack of physical keyboards as their biggest detractor. There's no arguing that it's easier, quicker, and more accurate to pound out text with a physical keyboard. Today's mobile professionals grew up using typewriters, word processors, desktops and laptops -- all of which include real keyboards. There's something to be said for the muscle memory that comes from beating on keys for a decade or two. <P> The iPad and other tablets use virtual keyboards that appear on the display and come and go as needed when you need to enter text. They work, but they don't offer the same tactile response that comes with a real keyboard. <P> Gates then pointed out that the Surface RT and Surface Pro, Microsoft's two tablets, have keyboard options that make them more productive. Further, the Surface Pro runs a full version of Windows, which includes Microsoft Office, Outlook, and tons of productivity apps. The Surface, said Gates, offers the "portability of the tablet, but the richness of a PC." <P> <strong>[ The iPad Mini is proving to be more popular than its big brother. Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/ipad-mini-eating-ipads-lunch/240153978?itc=edit_in_body_cross">iPad Mini Eating iPad's Lunch</a>. ]</strong> <P> Surely Gates knows there is an entire industry of accessory makers that supports the iPad and other tablets with keyboards. LogiTech and Zagg are just two companies that make reasonably priced keyboard cases (~$100) for the iPad. There are many others. Stating that iPad users are frustrated with the lack of a keyboard is simply disingenuous considering the fact that Microsoft charges an extra $100 and $129.99 to equip the Surface RT and the Surface Pro, respectively, with keyboards of their own. <P> As for Gates' comments about Office, iPad users don't appear to miss it. Apple sold 19.5 million iPads during the first quarter of 2013, during which time Microsoft sold only about 900,000 Surface tablets. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/android-tablets-edge-out-ipad-idc/240154083">Those numbers speak clearly enough</a>. <P> Further, both Apple and Google offer productivity suites for the iPad that are compatible (to a degree) with Office. iPad users can create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations through Apple's or Google's software and sync those documents with various cloud services, including iCloud and Google Drive. <P> At the end of the day, of course, Gates is just doing what he's supposed to be doing: supporting the products made by his company. There's nothing wrong with that. It would be better for Gates, however, if he weren't ignoring what's going on in the tablet market right now. Better yet, maybe he should do something about <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/10-ways-microsoft-could-improve-surface/240154051">the Surface's own shortcomings</a>. <P> Here's the actual clip of Gates speaking: <P> <object id="cnbcplayer" height="380" width="400" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" > <param name="type" value="application/x-shockwave-flash"/> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"/> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"/> <param name="quality" value="best"/> <param name="scale" value="noscale" /> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"/> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"/> <param name="salign" value="lt"/> <param name="movie" value="http://plus.cnbc.com/rssvideosearch/action/player/id/3000165390/code/cnbcplayershare"/> <embed name="cnbcplayer" PLUGINSPAGE="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" bgcolor="#000000" height="380" width="400" quality="best" wmode="transparent" scale="noscale" salign="lt" src="http://plus.cnbc.com/rssvideosearch/action/player/id/3000165390/code/cnbcplayershare" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" /> </object> <P> <i>E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! </i>2013-05-06T11:30:00ZTouch-based devices will become the dominant form of mobile computing this year, says NPD DisplaySearch.http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/tablets-to-outsell-pcs-3-to-1-by-2017/240154208?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/8-things-microsoft-could-do-to-save-wind/240153124"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/980/Windows-1st-screen_tn.png" alt="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" title="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> Sales of mobile PCs will continue to grow over the next four years, but only because professionals and consumers alike are turning to tablets and touch-based computers. According to a new report from NPD DisplaySearch, sales of mobile PCs -- tablets, touch-based notebooks and traditional notebooks -- will double from 367.6 million units shipped this year to 762.7 million globally by 2017. Tablets, however, will lead the way. <P> Shipments of <a href="http://www.displaysearch.com/cps/rde/xchg/displaysearch/hs.xsl/quarterly_mobile_pc_shipment_and_forecast_report.asp">tablets will outpace traditional laptops</a> as soon as this year, said NPD. Shipments of touch-based machines are expected to grow 67% year-over-year, reaching 256.5 million this year and 579.4 million by 2017. At the same time, shipments of notebooks are expected to shrink 10% between 2013 and 2017, from 203.3 million to 183.3 million. <P> By 2017, tablets will outsell notebooks three to one, with shipments of 579 million tablets compared to 183 million notebooks. <P> "The mobile PC industry is undergoing significant change this year," said NPD DisplaySearch senior analyst Richard Shim. "The rapid rise and establishment of white-box tablet PCs (tablets made by small local brands, mainly in China) is putting pressure on traditional notebook PCs. These low-cost tablets are reaching further into emerging regions where notebook PC penetration rates have remained low, resulting in cannibalization by tablet PCs." <P> <strong>[ The PC isn't dead, but there are at least <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/4-reasons-pc-market-wont-rebound/240154202?itc=edit_in_body_cross">4 Reasons PC Market Won't Rebound</a>. ]</strong> <P> One glimmer of hope for notebook makers is the modest increase in interest in touch-based models. Shipments of such devices are expected to climb as much as 48% in 2014 alone, thanks to new Windows 8 Ultrabooks. But PC makers need to drop the tried-and-true clamshell form factor and instead <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/acer-reveals-windows-8-hybrid-tablets/240154151">branch out with new designs</a>. Developers need to do their part, too, and get some touch-based Win8 apps in the market. <P> "Thus far, Windows 8 has had a limited impact on driving touch adoption in notebook PCs, due to a lack of applications needing touch and the high cost of touch on notebook PCs," said Shim. "Form factors aimed at differentiation from standard clamshell notebooks will help to drive consumer adoption of touch-enabled notebook PCs, starting in the second half of 2013." <P> Tablets will continue to be a thorn in the collective sides of PC makers, if not put their businesses in the toilet entirely. Tablets may not be as powerful or as feature-rich as notebooks running full desktop operating systems, but for many, tablets represent good-enough computing. The combination of portability and just the right mix of features (email, web browsers, touch-based apps and Wi-Fi/4G wireless) make tablets an attractive alternative to larger, bulkier notebooks. <P> Pricing is the other big issue. Apple put a lot of pressure on PC makers with the iPad, which costs $329 for the Mini and $499 for the full-sized model. Google's partners one-upped even Apple. Professionals and consumers alike can pick up solid Android tablets for as little as $199. Notebooks, especially those that incorporate touch, can't compete with price points that low. <P> <i>Think backups are boring? Not according to our more than 500 respondents. Most, 60%, use two, three or even more different backup applications, and the percentage encrypting all media has jumped 15 points since 2011. Get the <a href="http://www.networkcomputing.com/next-generation-data-center/util/download?id=189801503&cat=whitepaper?k=axxe&cid=article_axxe">2013 Backup Technologies Survey</a> report today. (Free registration required.)</i>2013-05-03T12:07:00ZDepartment of Defense approves use of BlackBerry and Samsung devices by military and government workers, a big win for the two companies.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/blackberry-samsung-get-pentagon-nod-of-a/240154163?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --><div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/samsung-galaxy-s-4-takes-a-bow/240150928"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/962/Samsung-Galaxy-S4-2013-03_tn.JPG" alt="Samsung Galaxy S 4 Takes A Bow" title="Samsung Galaxy S 4 Takes A Bow" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">Samsung Galaxy S 4 Takes A Bow</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for slideshow)</span> </div><!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has approved the use of new BlackBerrys and Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets by government workers and military officials. The approval is a big deal for both companies, which want to pitch their gear to the government. <P> BlackBerry said that the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/blackberry-z10-my-first-week/240151664">Z10</a>, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/smart-phones/blackberry-q10-the-keyboard-to-success/240152893">Q10</a> and the PlayBook all have been <a href="http://press.blackberry.com/press/2013/blackberry-10-smartphones-approved-for-use-on-u-s--department-of.html">approved for government use</a>. BlackBerry hardware can be used by DOD employees and on DOD networks. The Z10 and Q10 both run BlackBerry's new operating system, called BlackBerry 10. <P> "BlackBerry 10 is ideal for our government customers because it offers a rich, highly responsive mobile computing experience, along with BlackBerry's proven and validated security model -- a combination that's unmatched in the industry," said Scott Totzke, senior VP of BlackBerry security at BlackBerry. The Z10 is already available for sale from U.S. carriers, but the Q10 won't be available until the end of May. <P> <strong>[ Is BlackBerry pinning all its hopes on smartphones? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/blackberry-ceo-tablets-have-no-future/240153881?itc=edit_in_body_cross">BlackBerry CEO: Tablets Have No Future</a>. ]</strong> <P> BlackBerry has long worked with the U.S. government. This approval was expected, although it took longer to achieve than perhaps BlackBerry would have preferred. BlackBerry 10 sandboxes personal and enterprise data on BlackBerry smartphones and tablets. Through BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 10, businesses can hook into that contained enterprise data to control when and how it is accessed -- all while leaving the personal data alone. The appealing part for businesses is that BES 10 also can be used to manage other devices, such as the iPhone or Android smartphones. <P> Apple has done a good job of scoring wins with businesses that used to rely on BlackBerrys. But the iPhone has yet to win DOD approval, although a government spokesperson said approval is on the way. <P> As for Samsung, the government gave the thumbs up to its new <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/samsung-bets-big-on-knox-byod-technology/240149264">Knox security software</a>. Knox is an enterprise-focused tool that can be used on smartphones and tablets to secure sensitive information and make it inaccessible if need be. It does the same type of thing that BlackBerry 10 does with respect to personal and enterprise data. <P> Samsung is the world's biggest maker of cellphones and smartphones, many of which run Google's Android operating system. The company has traditionally been weak with enterprise and government sales. Knox is part of Samsung's strategy to help change that, so this is a major victory for the company. <P> "This approval enables other government agencies and regulated industries such as healthcare and financial services to adopt Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets," said Samsung president JK Shin. "This is a significant milestone for Samsung as we work to grow our relationships within government and large corporate enterprises."2013-05-03T11:29:00ZGoogle may go with LG rather than its own Motorola unit to make the next Nexus smartphone.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/lg-on-deck-for-next-nexus/240154138?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/google-nexus-7-take-two-what-to-expect/240151920"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/970/Nexus-7-rumors-01_tn.PNG" alt="Google Nexus 7, Take Two: What To Expect" title="Google Nexus 7, Take Two: What To Expect" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">Google Nexus 7, Take Two: What To Expect</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> Google must be pleased with the performance of the Nexus 4, which is made by LG, because it appears as though Google will ask LG to make the next-generation Nexus. Google CEO Larry Page recently met with LG in Korea. Though the meetings were privately held, Page was there to talk hardware. <P> Sources familiar with the discussions said, "Larry Page invited [LG Electronics CEO Koo Bon-joon] for a meeting while he stayed in Seoul last week," <a href="http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2013/05/133_134939.html">reported <i>The Korea Times</i></a>. "They discussed ways to improve their business partnership. The meeting lasted for more than an hour. They exchanged views about the latest mega trend in the global information technology industry. They also discussed how to form an alliance in futuristic projects as part of the big picture." <P> About once per year, Google debuts a new smartphone that is meant to be a test bed for its Android operating system. The Nexus line of smartphones run a clean version of Android, meaning there are no manufacturer or carrier applications on board. The stock version of Android appears as Google wants it to on Nexus phones. <P> HTC made the first Nexus smartphone, the Nexus 1, and Samsung made the following two, the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus. The <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/smart-phones/google-nexus-4-phone-slick-but-limited/240150444">Nexus 4</a> is the first such device made by LG. It went on sale in November of last year, and immediately sold out. It can be purchased directly from Google for $299 (8 GB) to $349 (16 GB) without a carrier contract. The next Nexus device isn't expected to arrive until October or November of this year. <P> <strong>[ In the market for a smartphone? Learn why Samsung should be near the top of your list. See <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/samsung-galaxy-s-4-11-clever-tricks/240153554?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Samsung Galaxy S 4: 11 Clever Tricks</a>. ]</strong> <P> Sticking with LG as the hardware maker of the Nexus smartphone is an interesting choice, if true. Google closed its purchase of Motorola, a smartphone and tablet maker, a year ago. Motorola was expected to be the supplier of the next Nexus smartphone. That appears not to be the case. <P> There have been plenty of <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/google-not-impressed-with-motorola-smart/240149714">reports about Motorola's next moves</a>, but the company has been very quiet the last seven months. It hasn't released any new smartphones this year. Google chairman Eric Schmidt and Larry Page <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/google-ceo-hints-at-new-motorola-hardwar/240153257">have both teased</a> good things to come from Motorola, but neither offered any specifics. <P> Google's decision to use LG could simply be a matter of timing. Perhaps LG has a good Nexus candidate ready to go for the fall, and Motorola doesn't. Given Samsung's incredible rise through sales of <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/samsung-galaxy-s-4-visual-tour/240150928">Android-based smartphones</a> -- and its near overshadowing of Google -- it won't be surprising if the company doesn't get another shot at the Nexus line. <P> LG and Google talked more than phones. LG is working with Google to make a Google TV with an OLED display. LG is also working on its own version of Google Glass.2013-05-02T12:19:00ZHTC's second quarter results look better than first, but plenty of make-up work lies ahead. Promos for the new HTC One smartphone might help.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/htc-plays-catch-up/240154063?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Infrastructure_as_a_Service_cloud_computing<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --><div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/10-best-and-worst-cellphones-of-all-time/240152362"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/975/Best-Worst-Cellphones-screen-1_tn.png" alt="Best And Worst Cellphones Of All Time" title="Best And Worst Cellphones Of All Time" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle">10 Best And Worst Cellphones Of All Time</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for slideshow)</span></div><!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->HTC hit rock bottom during its first fiscal quarter for 2013 when it report revenues of just $1.45 billion. Its second quarter results, released Thursday, show that HTC might have turned the corner and halted its downward spiral. HTC reported revenues of $2.37 billion, which is up significantly compared to the previous quarter, although still down from the year-ago period. <P> HTC believes its third quarter will be an improvement thanks to strong interest in the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/htc-one-impossible-to-repair-says-ifixit/240151951">HTC One</a>, its new flagship smartphone, which recently went on sale in the U.S. and other countries. HTC cautioned, however, that margins will continue to be razor-thin thanks in part to boosted spending on marketing. The company's margins were a scant 0.1% during its second fiscal quarter, but will improve slightly to between 1% and 3% moving forward, it said. <P> The One is HTC's latest effort to win back market share from Apple and <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/htc-crashes-samsung-galaxy-s-4-event/240150896">Samsung</a>, which have buried it over the course of the last two years. It has seen steadily shrinking share thanks to the success of devices such as the iPhone and Galaxy S series. The One won critical acclaim from reviewers around the world. <P> <strong>[ Did Samsung lay knives for HTC? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/samsung-investigated-for-anti-htc-smear/240152981?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Samsung Investigated For Anti-HTC Smear Campaign</a>. ]</strong> <P> In order to help, HTC is ramping up its marketing. The company has been more aggressive about pushing its new device with guerrilla campaigns. This week, it unfurled a limited-time promotion that runs between May 2 and May 5. <a href="http://www.htc.com/us/smartphones/htc-one/weekendoffer/">HTC is offering between $100 and $375</a> to people who purchase the HTC One and then mail in their old smartphone. The idea is to get people to buy its new device. The gimmick might work. The traded-in devices, which must be functional, will probably be sold to a third-party company that refurbishes them, resells them, or both. In other words, HTC won't really be paying people $375 to buy its new phone, but that's the end effect. <P> HTC hopes these and other efforts will bear fruit. "We're improving the HTC marketing execution. It's the first time since HTC developed its brand that we are really integrating brand, product and marketing all together," said HTC CEO Peter Chou. <P> The One is going head-to-head with the Samsung Galaxy S 4, which also reached retail stores in recent weeks. Both devices offer many of the same features, including HD screens, excellent cameras, LTE 4G and more. Both run Google's Android platform and each has its own customized software. The One is made from aluminum, while the GS4 is made from polycarbonates. Both are being sold for $199.99 with new contracts. Given the feature parity between the two devices, marketing promotions such as the trade-in deal might give HTC an early lead.