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New York, New York – August 28, 2012 –Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world’s largest bookseller and leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today announced a partnership with UK retailer John Lewis to bring the company’s award-winning NOOK reading experience and leading digital bookstore to its physical stores and online sales channels this autumn. The partnership with John Lewis, a premium department store brand lauded as “the UK’s leading electrical retailer,” will fortify Barnes & Noble’s newly-announced presence in the UK, and will enable UK shoppers to see, touch and experience NOOK devices and digital content.
Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 operating system will include a Kid's Corner option that provides a unique parental control feature to the company's mobile handsets. Kid's Corner, previously known as Kid's Zone, will be a separate Start screen environment designed for children to access apps, videos, games, and music that is shared by a parent. Thanks to a tipster, we've learned that Windows Phone owners will be able to setup a Start screen with the specially controlled apps on, and a child will access the feature by swiping from the left on the lock screen. We understand that this feature will be making its way to all Windows Phone 8 handsets when they're available later this year.
The Federal Communications Commission today indicated that it plans to review how much spectrum a single wireless network operator should be allowed to own in any given market, how much of that spectrum is below 1GHz, and how carriers sell or divest spectrum to one another.
Smartphone sales are expected to hit 54 percent of all cell phone sales by 2013, according to new projections from IHS. That is two years faster than previous projections and shows just how big the market is becoming thanks to low-cost handsets and more smartphone adoption. But the world is not far behind and is expected to fly past the 50 percent mark by 2013, according to a new report by IHS iSuppli.By the end of 2013, 54 percent of all phones globally will be smarpthones, IHS iSuppli predicted. That’s two years ahead of previous predictions by IHS iSuppli. Last year, smartphones comprised 35 percent of the global market.
Apple Inc. on Tuesday invited reporters to a news conference next week in San Francisco with a message that suggests that it will reveal the iPhone 5, as expected.The email invitation shows a big "12," for Sept. 12, casting a shadow in the shape of a "5."Various unconfirmed reports have pointed to Sept. 12 as being the day Apple Inc. shows off the new phone, which is expected to go on sale a week or two later.
The fallout from this ruling extends far into the technology space. And Microsoft is one of the companies most affected by it. The software giant is trying desperately to catch up to Google and Android. With Google’s chief vendor partner getting hit hard, this might be Microsoft’s chance to finally win one.
Android has found strong support throughout Europe, where larger displays are favored. In the last 12 weeks, 29 percent of the Android phones sold had displays larger than 4.5 inches.Europe was initially slow to back Google's Android operating system, but the continent now accounts for some of Android's fastest growth and continuing domination, according to a new report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. Android use in Europe rose to 67.1 percent in the 12 weeks ending Aug. 5, up from just less than 47 percent a year ago, the firm reported Sept. 3.
Nokia and Microsoft executives are scheduled to appear together at a Sept. 5 New York City event to unveil some of the first Windows Phone 8 smartphones. Specifically, Nokia is expected to show off the Lumia 820 and Lumia 920, according to several reports. The Nokia Lumia 820 and 920 are expected to include a new feature called wireless charging, according to the Website TheVerge.com. Wireless charging is based on the Qi wireless power standard and uses a process called magnetic induction to recharge the phone battery, according to the Wireless Power Consortium.
Samsung has beaten Nokia to the punch by announcing a really high-end and pretty desirable Windows Phone 8 handset, but it seems the dedicated Windows Phone company is not taking being upstaged lying down.Not only have they taken to IFA with placards welcoming Samsung back to Windows Phone (as if they ever left) but Doug Dawson, Media Relations head for Nokia, has called the handset just an “warm-up act"......
Motorola (NYSE:MOT) Mobility hosted Wednesday its first major product launch since being acquired by Google (NSDQ:GOOG) in May, unveiling a new family of Droid smartphones running Google's Android OS. Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside referred to the handset maker during a press event in New York City as "the new Motorola Mobility," emphasizing its close-knit relationship with parent company Google and the fact that it is "the only major OEM to go all in with Android."
We're live in London, where Everything Everywhere -- the organization formed by the merger of Orange and T-Mobile UK -- has just announced its new brand, and a new 4G LTE network to go along with it. EE's 4G network will be the UK's first, and will run on re-farmed 1800MHz spectrum from Orange and Tmo. The company promises speeds "five times faster" than current 3G offerings, allowing for faster streaming and downloading on handsets.At its event at the Science Museum in London this morning, EE said its new 4G and fiber broadband network would launch "within weeks," and that it'd be broadly available by the holidays. The old Orange and T-Mobile brands will continue for 3G services, but new customers wanting 4G, or existing Orange and Tmo subscribers who want to make the switch to LTE, will be able to "upgrade" to the new EE network.
While Verizon in the U.S. is getting set to roll out their Droid RAZR HD, Motorola has made a few announcements surrounding other variations of the device. Rogers in Canada will have their version ready shortly and more recently, Motorola added Brazil to the locations of availability. The RAZR HD is being touted as the first 4G ready smartphone for the area.At this point, no pricing has been announced for the device but Motorola notes it will become available in Q4 with Android 4.0.4 loaded. The full press release is available below ......
UK network O2 has secured exclusivity over a limited edition Skyfall-branded version of the phone, dubbed "The Bond Phone." By contrast, Vodafone and Three will offer the regular, less Bondier version of the Xperia T.The Bond Phone looks virtually identical to the vanilla Xperia T, but comes pre-loaded with Skyfall-based content, including "the 007 ringtone, themes, screensavers and SKYFALL images geo-tagged to the film's locations plus exclusive James Bond packaging." (Who doesn't appreciate a good promotional geotag?) Early adopters will also get the chance to pick up the 007 Legends game on Xbox 360, PC or PS3.
