AOL to Feed More Video, News to Microsoft’s MSN

AOL will provide Microsoft’s MSN with more video and additional news stories from popular sites such as The Huffington Post and TechCrunch in an expansion of a deal aimed at selling more digital advertising.

The arrangement announced Tuesday builds upon a partnership that AOL Inc. and Microsoft Corp. struck in April.

AOL already has been distributing clips from its collection of nearly 900,000 videos on MSN’s web sites and apps built for Microsoft products such as Windows phones. NowMicrosoft will be getting even more material, including text, from AOL’s stable of online services and will be able to feature the content on other apps built for Apple’s iPhoneand iPad as well as devices running on Android.

Financial terms of the expanded partnership weren’t disclosed.

Besides drawing upon material from The Huffington Post and TechCrunch, Microsoft will also receive content from AOL-owned Engadget, StyleList, KitchenDaily, Autoblog, DailyFinance, Parentdish and Joystiq.

Both AOL and Microsoft are trying to bring in more revenue from a digital advertising market led by Google Inc. and Facebook Inc.

Google is expected to collect nearly one-third of the $141 billion spent worldwide on digital advertising this year while Facebook’s share is projected at about 8 percent, according to the research firm eMarketer Inc. Microsoft ranks in a distant third place with a roughly 3 percent share of the digital ad market while AOL has a share of roughly 1 percent, eMarketer estimates.

Starboard Value LP, an investment fund that tried to overthrow part of AOL’s board in 2012, is now trying to convince Yahoo that it could do a better job selling digital ads if it bought AOL. Starboard revealed it had become a “significant” Yahoo shareholder last week, without specifying the size of its stake.

BlackBerry launches Passport smartphone

BlackBerry launched an unconventional new smartphone dubbed the Passport on Wednesday as it embarked on what may be the most critical phase of its long turnaround push.

At simultaneous events in Toronto, London and Dubai, BlackBerry showed off the device, which is the size and shape of a closed passport, with a large square touchscreen as well as a keyboard.

The Passport comes to market as the phones of BlackBerry’s rivals converge on a single profile, with tall, rectangular screens and smooth corners. Users can type on the Passport’s keyboard to enter text, or swipe lightly across it to navigate through the phone.

BlackBerry recently concluded a three-year restructuring process, and it is now up to chief executive John Chen to prove that the company’s new devices and services are capable of generating sustainable new streams of revenue and returning it to profit.

“BlackBerry is still fighting for survival. They still need to turn around and develop a viable ongoing business model,” said Brian Colello, analyst at US investment firm Morningstar.

“Their products are certainly pointing toward that and the new strategy makes sense, but there is still a lot of execution risk at this point in a very competitive market.”

At the Toronto event Chen brought out retired National Hockey League star Wayne Gretzky to talk up the Passport’s features. The device has a suggested introductory retail price of $599 (£367) in the United States.

BlackBerry said the new smartphone should be available in more than 30 countries by the end of the year. It will be carried by AT&T in the United States.

Passport users will be able to download apps from Amazon’s app store, previously only available for Android-based phones. BlackBerry announced the deal that cleared the way for its customers to access Amazon’s store in June.

The launch kicks off a busy period for Ontario-based BlackBerry. The company is set to report its second-quarter results on Friday and within a couple of months it is also expected to launch the long-awaited BlackBerry Classic, which bears similarities to its once wildly popular Bold smartphone.

“BlackBerry just needs one hit phone for now,” Colello said. “It doesn’t quite matter whether it is the Passport, the Classic or anything else, but they do need one device to jump-start the hardware business again.”

The company hopes the Classic and the launch of its new mobile device management system – BlackBerry Enterprise Service 12 (BES12) – will help it claw back ground ceded to rivals in both the hardware and services market.

The BES 12 platform will allow IT managers at large companies and government agencies to not only manage and secure BlackBerry devices, but also manage Windows-based devices, and more easily administer Android and iOS devices.

Chen, a well-regarded turnaround expert in the tech sector, wants BlackBerry to remain a competitor in the smartphone arena, but he is focused on reshaping the company to build on its core strengths in areas such as mobile data security and mobile device management.

BlackBerry is betting that the enhanced security features on its BES 12 platform, coupled with a range of value-added services, will help revive revenue growth and stem its slide

MORE INFO global.blackberry.com/en/smartphones.html 

iPhone 6, 6 Plus launch weekend sales hit 10 million, break record!

NEW DELHI: Apple has announced it has sold over 10 million new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models, just three days after the launch on September 19.

Last year, Apple had sold 9 million iPhone 5S and 5C phones during the launch weekend. In 2012, the Cupertino giant had sold 5 million iPhone 5 units in the first three days of launch but the figures also included China. It is worth pointing out that this year’s sales numbers do not include China as the phones are still not available in the region.

Just like last year, Apple has not disclosed individual sales figures for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

Apple had also announced that pre-orders for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones touched 4 million within 24 hours.

“Sales for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus exceeded our expectations for the launch weekend, and we couldn’t be happier,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We would like to thank all of our customers for making this our best launch ever, shattering all previous sell-through records by a large margin. While our team managed the manufacturing ramp better than ever before, we could have sold many more iPhones with greater supply and we are working hard to fill orders as quickly as possible.”

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK.

The two new iPhones will hit retail stores in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and United Arab Emirates on September 26.

Gadgets to watch out in 2014

It’s almost fall, which means tech companies are gearing up to release their newest smartphones, tablets, and wearable gadgets in time for the holiday season.

Most manufacturers haven’t even unveiled these devices yet, but we already have a pretty clear idea of what the most popular smartphones and tablets of 2015 will look like.

It’s important to keep in mind that these devices haven’t been confirmed yet, so there’s a chance that some of the phones and tablets on this list may not make it to market in 2014.

However, based on numerous rumours and leaks over the past few months, we feel strongly enough to include them in this list.

1. iPhone 6

Apple’s next smartphone, presumably called the iPhone 6, is probably the most anticipated gadget of 2014. The phone is expected to come out at the end of September, and Apple will reportedly unveil it on September 9.

Based on various leaks and rumours, it seems like the iPhone 6 be a noticeable upgrade from the iPhone 5s. The iPhone 6 will reportedly come with a larger, sharper 4.7-inch screen and a completely new design that looks similar to the iPad Air than an iPhone.
2. An even larger 5.5-inch iPhone

 

It’s been widely reported that Apple will unveil two new smartphones this year – one with a 4.7-inch display and another with a 5.5-inch screen. It’s unclear if they’ll both launch at the same time, however. Some reports have indicated that Apple has run into production issues with the 5.5-inch iPhone, hinting that it could be released in late 2014 or early 2015.
3. Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Samsung is reportedly getting ready to unveil its new Galaxy Note smartphone in early September. Like the Galaxy Note 3, the Note 4 is expected to come with a giant 5.7-inch display.

We wouldn’t be surprised to see a Galaxy Note 4 that looks like a giant version of the Galaxy S5, which means it could come with the same dimpled back and a heart rate monitor. We won’t know for sure until Samsung makes an official announcement, which is expected to happen on September 3.

4. Google Nexus 6 (or Nexus X)

Google is also reportedly preparing to release a new smartphone this fall. A report from TKTechNews suggests that it could launch in September, and that Google may call it the Nexus X rather than using its traditional numbered naming convention. Google’s new Nexus phone is expected to be more premium than the company’s previous Nexus phones.

It may cost somewhere in the $499.99 (Rs 30,000 approximately) range (unlocked) compared to the $349 Nexus 5. Naturally, it’ll ship with Android L and is rumoured to feature a 13MP camera, a 2K display, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor.
5. Moto X+1:

 

There’s a strong chance that Motorola’s next flagship smartphone, presumably the Moto X+1, will debut in September. The company is holding an event on September 4, where it’s expected to officially take the wraps off its new phone and a few other gadgets, too. The Moto X+1 is expected to come with a larger, sharper display than the Moto X, a faster processor, and a dual-flash camera.

6. Second-generation iPad Air

In years past, Apple has unveiled its new iPads in October, leading many to believe that an update to the iPad line is coming this fall, too. We haven’t heard too much about the second-gen iPad Air, but a report from Korean news source ET News suggests Apple may already be working on its components.

If the report holds up to be true, we could expect to see a new iPad with the same design as the first Air, a faster processor than Apple’s current tablet, and a better camera. French blog Nowhereelse.fr also posted a leaked image that claims to show the ipad Air 2.

 
7. A new Nexus tablet from Google :

Google is also rumoured to be working on a new gadget with HTC, and many believe this will be Google’s new Nexus tablet. From what we’ve heard, it sounds like this new device will be a tablet version of HTC’s One smartphone.

Codenamed “Volantis,” the tablet is expected to come with a super sharp display, HTC’s aluminium design that’s become the staple of its new smartphones, and Android L right out of the box. There’s no word on when it will come out, but Google has previously unveiled its new Nexus hardware in the fall.

8. Apple’s iWatch

Apple has been rumoured to be working on its first wearable device for more than a year, and a report from Re/code suggests it could finally debut this October. The iWatch is expected to focus on fitness, and will supposedly be able to track the number of steps you take, how many calories you’ve burned, and your heart rate, among other information.

If Apple does unveil the iWatch in October, we can probably expect to see it go on sale by the end of the year.
9. Moto 360

Motorola’s Moto 360 is one of the first devices to use Google’s new software for wearables, Android Wear. It made headlines back in March when Motorola unveiled it thanks to its circular design, which is unusual for a smartwatch with a touchscreen.

The Moto 360 is water-resistant and supports wireless charging. There’s no word on how much it costs yet, but Motorola is expected to unveil more details about availability on September 4. Rumours suggest it will retail for about $250.