iPhone, Android neck-and-neck as ‘most desired’ smartphone in U.S.A

Looks like the days of RIM ruling the U.S. smartphone roost are drawing to a close: A new survey finds that the iPhone has pulled even with BlackBerry among current smartphone owners. When it comes to which smartphone OS is the "most desirable," though, it's iPhone vs. Android, not iPhone vs. BlackBerry.
Just a couple of months ago, the researchers at Nielsen found that BlackBerry was still the U.S. smartphone king with 31 percent of the market; the iPhone was nipping at RIM's heels with 28 percent and Android was in third place — with a bullet — at 19 percent.
But the iPhone platform managed to snap a 27.9 percent share in Nielsen's latest survey, compared with BlackBerry's 27.4 percent share.

Android continues to gain ground. Its smartphone market share climbed to 22.7 percent — up a couple of points from Nielsen's figures in August, and up an eye-popping 14 percentage points since January. Rounding out the list is Windows Mobile at 14 percent (a figure that doesn't include Windows Phone 7 devices, which had yet to be released at the time of the latest Nielsen survey), the Symbian OS (think Nokia) at 3.4 percent, Linux at 3.3 percent, and Palm with a slender 1.3 percent.Beyond taking a reading on how the major smartphone platforms are faring with current users, Nielsen also asked handheld owners a second question: Which smartphone OS is at the top of your wish list?

The overall winner of "most desired OS" among "likely" smartphone upgraders — by a whisker — was the iPhone, with 30 percent of the vote. Android had 28 percent, BlackBerry 13 percent (bad news for RIM), Windows Mobile 6 percent, "other" 4 percent, and "not sure" a healthy 19 percent.Narrow the range of answers to just smartphone owners, though, and the results change, with the iPhone getting bumped up to 38 percent, while Android held steady at 28 percent. The BlackBerry OS got a 2-point boost among current smartphone users, to 15 percent.

On the other hand, it turns out most "feature phone" (i.e., non-smartphone) owners would prefer trading up to an Android phone, with 28 percent of feature-phone users saying they'd like to go the Android way, versus 25 percent for the iPhone and 25 percent for "not sure."Filter the results by age, and we find that the younger you get, the more you want an iPhone or an Android handset, with 35.9 percent and 32 percent of those ages 18 to 25 wanting an iPhone or an Android device, respectively. Those figures steadily shrink with age, and by the time we get to those 55 or older, only 26.4 percent "most desire" an iPhone, or 20.3 percent for Android.

The most popular smartphone OS choice for those 55 and up is "not sure" at 27.8 percent, versus just 12.2 percent for those between 18 and 24.There's also a gender divide when it comes to the "most desired" smartphone OS: Women prefer the iPhone (30.9 percent) to Android (22.8 percent), whereas more men are pining for an Android device (32.6 percent) than an iPhone (28.6 percent).

So, which smartphone do you own right now — and which smartphone OS do you most wish you were using?

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

Verizon to launch 4G data network, USB modems on December 5th

Verizon Wireless has finally coughed up some details about its upcoming, long-anticipated 4G network, with the carrier naming the first 38 cities — from New York and Miami to San Francisco and Los Angeles — to get speedy LTE coverage, starting Sunday.
A total of 110 million North American users — or a third of the U.S. — will be bathed in Verizon 4G coverage when the network goes live December 5, with Verizon execs promising that it will expand its 4G footprint to encompass its current, much larger 3G coverage area by 2013.
Expect data speeds up to 10 times faster than on Verizon's current 3G network, CTO Tony Melone promised during a conference call Wednesday. Downlink speeds between 5 and 12MBps should be "the norm," along with upload speeds in the 2-5MBps range, and latency rates that are about half as long as those on Verizon's existing 3G network, Melone said.
Among the cities on the list: Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Las Vegas,  Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix,  Seattle, and Washington, D.C. (You can check out a map of the entire list of cities right here.)
Verizon also has a pair of new, 4G-ready USB modems ready to go: the LG VL600 and the Pantech UML290. Both will cost $99 after a $50 rebate and with two-year contracts, with the LG modem available on launch day, while the Pantech device will arrive "very soon" afterward.
And what about other modems, or the first 4G LTE smartphones and tablets? We'll have to wait a little longer for those, according to Verizon's Melone, who added that more devices — including smartphones, hopefully — will be revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show in January and launched by the middle of next year. (No mention was made of a 4G iPhone, incidentally.)
So, what are we talking in terms of 4G data plans? At launch, expect a pair of options: a $50-a-month plan capped at 5GB of data (which is $10/month cheaper than Verizon's equivalent 3G broadband plan), or $80 a month for 10GB, with both plans including an overage fee of $10 per extra GB.
Verizon 4G users will be able to check their data use with Verizon's desktop modem client, and they can also get text alerts warning them when they've used 50 percent, 75 percent, 90 percent, and finally 100 percent of their monthly data allotments.
Verizon will be the latest of the big U.S. wireless carriers to go the 4G way with its data network. Sprint already has about 68 cities covered with its own 4G network, which is based on WiMax technology rather than the LTE standard.
Meanwhile, T-Mobile has 80 major U.S. markets covered by HSPA+, an enhancement to 3G technology that the carrier has gone ahead and labeled as 4G. AT&T also has a large HSPA+ network, and it's planning on launching its own LTE-based network next year.
Of course, what constitutes a "true" 4G network is a matter of debate. The International Telecommunications Union has stated that nothing less than 100Mbps download speeds for mobile devices would be required for any network to claim the 4G moniker. That means that none of the big four U.S. carriers actually has a 4G network yet — or at least, not in the eyes of the ITU.
No matter, though, says Verizon's Melone, who calls the carrier's new "4G" network a "real, generational step up," adding that "whether we call it 4G or something else is irrelevant." Well, OK then.
So, will you be signing up for Verizon's new 4G LTE network come Sunday, or are you going with another network — or will you simply wait until 4G coverage is available in more cities?
Correction: The headline for this post originally read that Verizon's 4G network would go live on Dec. 8; in fact, it's set to launch Sunday, Dec. 5. Apologies for the goof.

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

WikiLeaks site kicked off Amazon's servers

Amazon forced WikiLeaks to stop using the U.S. company's computers to distribute embarrassing State Department communications and other documents, WikiLeaks said Wednesday.
The ouster came after congressional staff questioned Amazon about its relationship with WikiLeaks, said Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut.
WikiLeaks confirmed it hours after The Associated Press reported that Amazon's servers had stopped hosting WikiLeaks' site. The site was unavailable for several hours before it moved back to its previous Swedish host, Bahnhof AB.
WikiLeaks released a trove of sensitive diplomatic documents on Sunday. Just before the release, its website came under an Internet-based attack that made it unavailable for hours at a time.
WikiLeaks reacted by moving the website from computers in Sweden to those of Amazon Web Services. Amazon has vast banks of computers that can be rented on a self-service basis to meet surges in traffic.
But that move exposed WikiLeaks to legal and political pressure.
"WikiLeaks servers at Amazon ousted. Free speech the land of the free--fine our $ are now spent to employ people in Europe," the organization said Wednesday in a posting on the Twitter messaging service.
"If Amazon are so uncomfortable with the first amendment, they should get out of the business of selling books," WikiLeaks said in another tweet.
Seattle-based Amazon.com would not comment on its relationship with WikiLeaks.
"The company's decision to cut off WikiLeaks now is the right decision and should set the standard for other companies WikiLeaks is using to distribute its illegally seized material," Lieberman said in a statement. He added that he would have further questions for Amazon about the affair.
As an organization, WikiLeaks has no firm geographic base, but founder Julian Assange sought to establish residency in Sweden to take advantage of laws protecting those who funnel information to the media. However, authorities rejected his application for a residency permit.
Swedish police are now seeking to arrest Australian-born Assange based on allegations of sexual assault stemming from his stay in the country. Assange has denied the charges.
Swedish police issued an international arrest warrant on Wednesday, though they haven't filed formal charges. Assange's whereabouts are unknown.
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

Japanese carrier to give away iPads — with strings attached

Japanese carrier Softbank is promising to subscribers starting early next month — but there's a two-year catch involved.
Softbank's "iPad for Everybody" promotion begins December 2, reports MocoNews, with those who sign up set to get their very own 16GB iPad 3G, which retails here in the U.S. for a cool $629. (The 16GB Wi-Fi-only version of the iPad sells for $499.)
That's not the end of the story, though. Users who sign up for a "free" iPad through Softbank will also have to sign a 25-month contract that involves a 4,725-yen monthly 3G data fee, which, based on the latest exchange rates, comes out to about $56 a month.
Do the math ($56 a month, times 25 months) and that comes out to about 118,125 yen — or $1,400 — over two years. Yikes.
On the other hand, 25 months of AT&T's 2GB, $25-a-month iPad 3G plan would cost you $625 (not counting taxes and other fees, of course), while a 16GB iPad 3G goes for $629 — bringing the 25-month total to $1,254, or nearly $150 less than the Softbank deal.
That's not an entirely fair comparison, though. For one thing, Softbank is offering unlimited monthly 3G data for its iPad subscribers, while both AT&T and Verizon (which is offering the Wi-Fi iPad bundled with a MiFi wireless hotspot) are capping their no-strings iPad 3G plans. There's also the relative strength of the yen to consider, which complicates straight-ahead currency conversions when it comes to comparing international products and services.
Still, as with the steeply discounted smartphones sold by wireless carriers here in the States, there's no question that a "free" iPad from Japan's Softbank isn't really free — and indeed, it may end up costing users about as much as they would have paid for an iPad up front.
Softbank isn't the first carrier to offer the iPad 3G at a discount, as MocoNews points out. Both Orange and T-Mobile in the U.K. are offering £200 iPads (about US$320) with two-year contracts, while Orange France will serve up a two-year-contract iPad for 279 euros.
Neither AT&T nor Verizon Wireless are offering discounted iPad deals yet, although it's worth noting that the iPad's newest competitor — the 7-inch, Android-powered Samsung Galaxy Tab — recently went on sale on Sprint and T-Mobile for a subsidized $399 with two-year contracts. The full retail price of the 3G-enabled Tab: a hefty $599.
Competition with the Tab could be one reason that overseas carriers are offering the iPad for a discount in exchange for a two-year service agreement, although MocoNews has another theory: an effort by Apple to boost the iPad's user base in Japan before its iAd mobile advertising platform makes its 2011 Japanese debut.
What about you — would you rather pay full-price for an iPad (or the Samsung Galaxy Tab, for that matter) up front, with no strings attached, or at a discount with a two-year contract?

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

Now iPad has real Xmas rival in "Galaxy tablet"

Millions of people around the world will be glued to their iPad or other tablet computer instead of watching yet another re-run of a movie on TV.
Samsung Electronics says it has sold over 700,000 of its Galaxy Tab device in the six weeks since its launch and believes at least a million will be in people's hands by the end of the year.
But that's still miles behind the iPad, which only went on sale in South Korea -- Samsung's home turf -- for the first time on Tuesday.
Apple has sold more than eight million of the gadgets since it went on sale in April but could have sold more, experts say, were it not for problems making enough to meet demand.
Sony, BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM), Toshiba, Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, Dell, Asus, Acer -- most of the big global brand names in the technology sector have a tablet computer on the market or in the pipeline.
Technology research firm Gartner last month said sales of tablet computers are expected to soar from nearly 20 million units this year to 55 million next year and over 208 million in 2014.
The Galaxy Tab has a seven-inch (18-centimetre) touch screen -- significantly smaller than the iPad's nearly 10-inch display. But Samsung says it will introduce "new tablets of different sizes in the near future".
Apple's first generation iPad does not have a camera, does not function as a phone and the company does not allow the Flash video standard on the gadget.
These are all big advantages for Samsung, the company says.
"The Tab sets itself apart from other similar smart media devices by featuring optimal portability, Flash support, dual cameras and phone-call functions," Samsung Electronics spokesman Nam Ki-yung told AFP
"Owning a Tab is like having your personal library, entertainment system, office workstation and e-learning resources rolled into one device -- that snugly fits into your pocket."
While Apple has its own App store where iPad owners can buy software and games to run on its array of gadgets, Samsung and most other tablets run on Google's Android, with apps available from the Android Market store.
Sales in tablet computers should see exponential growth in the next 12 months, analysts say.
"Tablets are basically new creatures," Young Park, a tech analyst for South Korea's Woori Investment and Securities, told AFP.
"So this is a brand new market which is set to grow substantially. It will be interesting to watch how the market evolves over the next year or so.
"As more and more tablet devices come onto the market, that will inevitably eat into Apple's lead."
Sales of tablet computers, Hong Kong-based Young believes, will remain steady during the run up to Christmas but will not increase significantly.
"A tablet computer such as Apple's iPad or the Samsung Galaxy Tab is hard to give as a Christmas gift," Young said.
"The main problem is most of them require a subscription with a network and you have to sign a 12 or even 24 month contract. That makes it difficult to give as a surprise. Plus, they're not cheap."
The cheapest iPad costs 499 dollars in the US while the top model is priced at 829 dollars. Samsung's Galaxy Tab costs around 600 dollars, when bought without a subscription to a network.

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