Verizon sees sales boost through iPhone

Verizon Communications expects revenue to rise as much as 8 percent this year as customers rush to buy more smartphones, particularly Apple Inc's iPhone.

Verizon, whose shares climbed more than 2 percent following the better-than-expected outlook, will begin selling iPhone next month through its Verizon Wireless venture, bringing an end to AT&T Inc's exclusive hold on the wildly popular phone.

Verizon waited 3 1/2 years to get a crack at selling the iPhone and expects the sleek device to be a big help to its bottom line, it said on Tuesday. Indeed, if the company sells 11 million iPhones this year -- the number analysts on average expect -- that would increase earnings per share 5 percent to 8 percent, it predicted.

Chief Operating Officer Lowell McAdam said much of the 2011 growth would come from doubling the percentage of customers who use smartphones.

"I think we'll be at 50 percent by the end of 2011 or even higher," McAdam told analysts during the company's conference call on quarterly earnings. "When they get those smartphones in their hands, the usage goes up."

These customers spend more on data services than those with regular phones do.

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Kodak's patent against Apple rejected

Eastman Kodak Co lost a crucial opening round in a high-stakes patent dispute over whether iPhones and BlackBerry camera phones infringe on its digital-imaging technology.

The US International Trade Commission in Washington said in a preliminary ruling that Apple Inc's iPhones and Research in Motion Ltd's camera-enabled BlackBerry models do not violate Kodak's 2001 patent covering ways to preview digital images.

The federal agency's six commissioners can choose by a May 23 deadline to either alter the initial determination by Paul Luckern, its chief administrative law judge, or let it stand.
While the ruling appears to undermine Kodak's chances of negotiating royalty-paying deals with the two smart-phone makers, the Rochester-based picture-taking pioneer still expects to prevail.

The judge's recommendation "represents a preliminary step in a process that we are extremely confident will conclude in Kodak's favor," said Laura Quatela, Kodak's chief intellectual property officer.
"We fully expect the ITC commission will ultimately rule that the patent claim at issue is valid and infringed by Apple and RIM," Quatela added in a statement.
Cupertino , California based Apple declined to comment.

There was no immediate comment from RIM.

After failed negotiations with Apple and Canada-based RIM, Kodak filed its complaint a year ago with the commission, which oversees US trade disputes. Kodak also filed two lawsuits against Apple in federal court in Rochester but did not specify damages it was seeking.

Microsoft, RIM grow on app developers: Survey

Mobile software developers remain fixated on Apple and on Google's Android as the prime targets of their toil, but Microsoft and Research In Motion are making inroads as tablet offerings multiply.

The iPhone, which boasts more than 300,000 third-party applications, or apps, retains the attention of 92 percent of developers, according to a survey released on Tuesday by research firm IDC and app platform Appcelerator.

The survey of more than 2,200 developers found many expect to produce more apps for more platforms with more complexity.

"Cloud connectivity, location and social will define the experiences of most applications this year and going forward," said Appcelerator's Scott Schwarzhoff in an interview.

"Respondents said 'last year I was kicking the tyres, this year I really am ramping up my efforts'," he added.

Developer intent is a useful indicator of broader interest in a platform, as consumers are drawn to devices that can perform specific tasks such as checking news or stock prices, tracking how far you've run or finding nearby restaurants.

Apple's iPad tablet and Android phones -- which are made by a number of handset makers including HTC , Samsung and Motorola Mobility -- tied for the next biggest share of developer attention, with 87 percent saying they are very interested in each platform.

IPS officer lodges FIR against Facebook for maligning Mahatma

An IPS officer has lodged an FIR against social networking site Facebook for allegedly maligning the image of Mahatma Gandhi through an online group.

Amitabh Thakur, an IPS officer of UP cadre, has lodged the FIR against Facebook and others at Gomti Nagar police station here for allegedly portraying Gandhi in a wrong manner and spreading hatred, police sources said here.

In his complaint, Thakur alleged that abuses and dirty words have been used against Gandhi in the "I hate Gandi group" on the social networking site.

He claimed the words and abuses were of such nature that they are wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot.

The FIR has been lodged under section 153 (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of communities and other grounds), 153 A (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration), 153 B (public nuisance), 290 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 504 (criminal intimidation) 506 and 66 A IT Act (using Information Technology for these purposes).

Other than Facebook, those who have been named in the FIR are those who have been running the group including Rahul Devgan, Gaurab Banerjee, Rohan Shinde, Shikshit Kumar, Gadadhar Ghoshal, Deven Tandan and Vignesh NV .

Disclaimer: All information on this news has been compiled from their respective official websites or through public domain sites and leading newspapers. Although, we have taken reasonable efforts to provide you with accurate information, but we assumes no responsibility for the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the Information and would advise you to verify it from the official product provider. We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. If you would like to advertise on our site please contact us

Security apps boost Apple as BlackBerry alternative

A slew of small security software developers are helping Apple's iPhone gain a foothold within corporations that were once the exclusive domain of Research In Motion's BlackBerry.

The shift reflects efforts by some companies to accommodate the preference of many employees for Apple's iconic smartphone, a trend that has led software makers to develop programs to deliver secure email and other data over the iPhone.

To be sure, the status of BlackBerry's security features as the industry standard is not under threat. But the new programs could mean that many employees may no longer have to carry a company-sponsored BlackBerry in addition to their store-bought iPhones.

One company that is experimenting is Deutsche Bank. In conjunction with California-based software maker Good Technology, the German bank is delivering corporate email to some employees in a trial that its internal analyst said was "overwhelmingly positive" despite some minor flaws.

"You're seeing consumers, or employees, bring their iPhones in to IT managers and 'say make this work,'" Deutsche's Chris Whitmore said by telephone.

Good and other security specialists like MobileIron and NetHawk are developing programs that can provide the extra assurances required by financial services and healthcare providers, which require airtight communications.

"What they're very good at doing is going into an enterprise where they're very concerned about security and say we're going to beef up the iPhone and iPad because they're not very secure," analyst Jack Gold of J.Gold Associates said, referring to Good Technologies.

Firefox to develop "Do Not Track" privacy tool

Firefox, the world's second most popular browser, is developing more tools to help protect Web surfers' privacy.

The browser will give users the opportunity to block advertisers from collecting information about them. Firefox's parent company, Mozilla Inc., made the announcement in a blog post.

Alex Fowler, Mozilla's technology and privacy officer, says the "Do Not Track" tool will be the first in a series of steps designed to guard privacy. He writes, "When the feature is enabled and users turn it on, websites will be told by Firefox that a user would like to opt-out of online behavior advertising."

The next version of Microsoft Corp's Internet Explorer browser will include a similar feature, though people will have to create or find their own lists of sites they want to block.

Disclaimer: All information on this news has been compiled from their respective official websites or through public domain sites and leading newspapers. Although, we have taken reasonable efforts to provide you with accurate information, but we assumes no responsibility for the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the Information and would advise you to verify it from the official product provider. We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. If you would like to advertise on our site please contact us

Beware of attack tool kits from malicious websites: Symantec

The latest threat to internet users from hackers is tool kits from malicious websites that attack computers with software programmes, says global security solutions provider Symantec Corporation . Its global intelligence network has detected 240,000 attack tool kits across 200 countries.

"Attack tool kits are software programmes that infect networked computers when unsuspecting users surf malicious websites created by cyber criminals," Symantec India vice-president Shantanu Ghosh told IANS here, citing a Symantec study.

The ease with which tool kits are accessible has drawn even traditional criminals without expertise into cybercrime, fuelling a self-sustaining, profitable and organised global economy, the study by the US-based company's security technology and response unit pointed out.

"A techie who develops the kit customises the publicly available exploit code and incorporates it into the kit for setting up a malicious website, which attacks computers when viewed," Ghosh explained.

The Symantec global intelligence network, which identifies cyber threats, takes action and prevents impact, detected 240,000 attack tool kits across 200 countries worldwide in a recent survey.

"As cyber attacks have become more profitable, tool kits have become popular with newer versions. These kits are sold on a subscription-based model with updates and support services," Ghosh noted.