Breaking: Microsoft Buys Nokia Devices Unit for $7.2 Billion

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXx3LHEX5liHA99I3jkeEoXEZqLn-yPzgNZeH02xr3L5t5_gA0S2wPZT_tfqGMcMi8zv4AdF0QZewOnY58ibxfiMc2cUI30FpIu5_mn7AnDrDCfzAkczYHA_kR-5svZLJGr2Kf2z8xWfU/s1600/Britain_Nokia_Microsoft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXx3LHEX5liHA99I3jkeEoXEZqLn-yPzgNZeH02xr3L5t5_gA0S2wPZT_tfqGMcMi8zv4AdF0QZewOnY58ibxfiMc2cUI30FpIu5_mn7AnDrDCfzAkczYHA_kR-5svZLJGr2Kf2z8xWfU/s1600/Britain_Nokia_Microsoft.jpg" /></a></div> Microsoft and Nokia have just announced that both companies have decided to enter into a transaction whereby Microsoft will purchase substantially all of Nokia’s Devices & Services business, license Nokia’s patents, and license and use Nokia’s mapping services.<br /> Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will pay $ 5 billion to purchase substantially all of Nokia’s Devices & Services business, and $ 2.2 billion to license Nokia’s patents, for a total transaction price of $ 7.2 billion in cash.<br /> Microsoft will draw upon its overseas cash resources to fund the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014, subject to approval by Nokia’s shareholders, regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.<br /> “It’s a bold step into the future – a win-win for employees, shareholders and consumers of both companies. Bringing these great teams together will accelerate Microsoft’s share and profits in phones, and strengthen the overall opportunities for both Microsoft and our partners across our entire family of devices and services,” said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft chief executive officer. “In addition to their innovation and strength in phones at all price points, Nokia brings proven capability and talent in critical areas such as hardware design and engineering, supply chain and manufacturing management, and hardware sales, marketing and distribution.”<br /> “We are excited and honored to be bringing Nokia’s incredible people, technologies and assets into our Microsoft family. Given our long partnership with Nokia and the many key Nokia leaders that are joining Microsoft, we anticipate a smooth transition and great execution,” Ballmer said. “With ongoing share growth and the synergies across marketing, branding and advertising, we expect this acquisition to be accretive to our adjusted earnings per share starting in FY15, and we see significant long-term revenue and profit opportunities for our shareholders.”<br /> “For Nokia, this is an important moment of reinvention and from a position of financial strength, we can build our next chapter,” said Risto Siilasmaa, Chairman of the Nokia Board of Directors and, following today’s announcement, Nokia Interim CEO. “After a thorough assessment of how to maximize shareholder value, including consideration of a variety of alternatives, we believe this transaction is the best path forward for Nokia and its shareholders. Additionally, the deal offers future opportunities for many Nokia employees as part of a company with the strategy, financial resources and determination to succeed in the mobile space.”<br /> “Building on our successful partnership, we can now bring together the best of Microsoft’s software engineering with the best of Nokia’s product engineering, award-winning design, and global sales, marketing and manufacturing,” said Stephen Elop, who following today’s announcement is stepping aside as Nokia President and CEO to become Nokia Executive Vice President of Devices & Services. “With this combination of talented people, we have the opportunity to accelerate the current momentum and cutting-edge innovation of both our smart devices and mobile phone products.”<br /> Nokia has outlined its expected focus upon the closing of the transaction in a separate press release published today.</div>

Breaking: Microsoft Buys Nokia Devices Unit for $7.2 Billion

Microsoft and Nokia have just announced that both companies have decided to enter into a transaction whereby Microsoft will purchase su...

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HTC Announces Desire 601 and Desire 300

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> HTC has announced two new smartphones in the Desire series called the 601 and 300 and fall in the mid-range & lower-end categories respectively.<br /> <h4> <span style="font-weight: bold;">HTC Desire 601</span></h4> The Desire 601 is the better of the two smartphones, in terms of specs. Featuring a 4.5 inch display with a respectable resolution of 540 x 960 pixels, the phone boasts a 1.4Ghz dual-core SnapDragon 400 processor<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3r_1RuUXjYWoJtBngrXik_ORVbmhl4cFBhGKOYDQhsphFM8BtO98V8tFM6zQyUTGdFtKyWZBMDaV511xwIe4g3rWWdX7jPIhjSiEDg3_W7dC2BfhfoHX6JuNYg_fuKiblFzRxpS_5oY/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3r_1RuUXjYWoJtBngrXik_ORVbmhl4cFBhGKOYDQhsphFM8BtO98V8tFM6zQyUTGdFtKyWZBMDaV511xwIe4g3rWWdX7jPIhjSiEDg3_W7dC2BfhfoHX6JuNYg_fuKiblFzRxpS_5oY/s1600/1.jpg" /></a></div> under the hood. Also underneath there lies 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB expandable storage.<br /> The software running on this thing is Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean which is customized and running HTC Sense version 5.0 on top. One cool bonus HTC has added is in the form of its home-baked software tricks. HTC Zoe is there and so are the Video Highlights.<br /> At the back is the 5 megapixel camera with 1080p Full HD video recording. The camera too boasts several of the tricks which were first shown off in the HTC One flagship. The battery is of 2100 mAh capacity.<br /> <ul> <li>Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and HTC Sense 5.0</li> <li>4.5 inch display with resolution of 540 x 960 pixels</li> <li>9.88mm thick</li> <li>130g heavy</li> <li>1.4Ghz dual-core SnapDragon 400 processor</li> <li>1 GB of RAM and 8 GB expandable storage</li> <li>5 megapixel rear-camera with 1080p Full HD video recording</li> <li>VGA front-camera</li> <li>Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0, USB-OTG, Wi-Fi, GPS</li> <li>HTC Zoe, Video Highlights and camera software tricks</li> <li>2100 mAh battery</li> </ul> The phone will launch in October but price is still unknown.<br /> <h4> <span style="font-weight: bold;">HTC Desire 300</span></h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniLDUPMUDdnFcl0Bro1JJqgfGOubxNMbiIgn3zfZhC2KIMfDObBpFFREMn3uE0_9v4dPR5RIv6a_SwM5IeDXpfoi7LayFr1KeCz_YojYRueij5tQ5Hry1noKPZMwDYAY4Cu0fC9VUTGM/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniLDUPMUDdnFcl0Bro1JJqgfGOubxNMbiIgn3zfZhC2KIMfDObBpFFREMn3uE0_9v4dPR5RIv6a_SwM5IeDXpfoi7LayFr1KeCz_YojYRueij5tQ5Hry1noKPZMwDYAY4Cu0fC9VUTGM/s1600/2.jpg" /></a></div> The Desire 300 is the more lower-end smartphone of the duo but still comes with above average specs. The 4.3 inch display comes with resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. Under the hood you get 1Ghz dual-core SnapDragon S4 processor, 512 MB RAM and 4 GB expandable storage.<br /> Around the back is the 5 megapixel camera, this time with WVGA video at 30fps. The phone still comes with Blinkfeed on the software side and has Android 4.2.2 pre-installed.<br /> Battery capacity is 1650 mAh. Here are the full specs of the phone:<br /> <ul> <li>Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with HTC Sense 5.0</li> <li>4 inch display with resolution of 480 x 800 pixels</li> <li>10.1mm thick</li> <li>120g heavy</li> <li>1Ghz dual-core SnapDragon S4 processor</li> <li>512 MB RAM and 4 GB expandable storage</li> <li>5 megapixel camera with WVGA video at 30fps</li> <li>VGA front-facing camera</li> <li>Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0, Wi-Fi, GPS</li> <li>1650 mAh battery</li> </ul> The Desire 300 will also launch in October for an unknown price tag.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> </div>

HTC Announces Desire 601 and Desire 300

HTC has announced two new smartphones in the Desire series called the 601 and 300 and fall in the mid-range & lower-end categories re...

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Android Finally Reaches 1 Billion Devices, Next Version Gets a Name: KitKat

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnAtD1tJCHxXVFUeTsgkTz8SSbd3LCy4qArduItCJ2XuilbUpcZjRfSOp-mTVuBp2HC5s11kcDlo6XDIph1U5SANzOwdFXZEb7peqWmwQYsSzIR9SfmmGO6-B7tOLQcS-IX2JrV9M9qA/s1600/Android-KitKat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnAtD1tJCHxXVFUeTsgkTz8SSbd3LCy4qArduItCJ2XuilbUpcZjRfSOp-mTVuBp2HC5s11kcDlo6XDIph1U5SANzOwdFXZEb7peqWmwQYsSzIR9SfmmGO6-B7tOLQcS-IX2JrV9M9qA/s1600/Android-KitKat.jpg" /></a></div> Android chief Sundar Pichai has announced via Google+ and Twitter that the long-awaited moment of Android’s 1 billion activations has finally arrived. After such a milestone, Google’s stronghold over the market has probably become unmatchable.<br /> “All this Android innovation is driving tremendous ecosystem momentum and I’m excited to share that together we’ve now passed 1 Billion Android device activations”, he wrote. “Huge thanks to the entire Android community from the hardware manufacturers, chip makers and carriers to the developers and content creators to all of you – our Android users around the world – for making this possible.”<br /> He also made full use of the moment to tease the next version of Android which has found a new name in “KitKat”, rather than the name Key Lime Pie which circulated around the web for months before being turned down.<br /> “On my return from Asia, I was also thrilled to find this guy waiting to greet me on the front lawn — love the new #AndroidKitKat statue and can’t wait to release the next version of the platform that is as sweet as the candy bar that’s one of our team’s favorites.”<br /> Yes, KitKat is named after the popular chocolate and Google has secured rights to that too. The OS name skips the space between the two parts though.<br /> An official section has been dedicated in the operating system’s official site already with a simple message accompanying it:<br /> <blockquote> It’s our goal with Android KitKat to make an amazing Android experience available for everybody.</blockquote> And oh, a new statue has joined the existing statues of Android versions in GooglePlex already which looks just as mouth-watering as the older ones. Google has once again followed its famous tradition of naming OS versions after desserts in this instance.</div>

Android Finally Reaches 1 Billion Devices, Next Version Gets a Name: KitKat

Android chief Sundar Pichai has announced via Google+ and Twitter that the long-awaited moment of Android’s 1 billion activations has f...

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Apple Confirms September 10 Unveiling of The Next iPhone(s)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3s1Y7-7gtLk0e58Ks_viw2UUB6BmyiIVZW7kMmED6pwUBRRxEfYL0gADEI-X53beQ8Xi_G2BPrQdTFXWQe-K5KMIdnmZocLQxhVnu2LYPbbIE3cnahGr4Uz7iC917Om4_W2NCKg8eZnk/s1600/appleinvite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Apple Confirms September 10 Unveiling of The Next iPhone(s)" border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3s1Y7-7gtLk0e58Ks_viw2UUB6BmyiIVZW7kMmED6pwUBRRxEfYL0gADEI-X53beQ8Xi_G2BPrQdTFXWQe-K5KMIdnmZocLQxhVnu2LYPbbIE3cnahGr4Uz7iC917Om4_W2NCKg8eZnk/s1600/appleinvite.jpg" title="Apple Confirms September 10 Unveiling of The Next iPhone(s)" width="400" /></a></div> The unveiling of the iPhone is one of biggest moments of the industry. All previous unveilings of iPhone devices have always been long-awaited and this year is no different, especially since it has been largely expected that it will be the first instance of Apple announcing two phones, instead of one.<br /> Well now, confirming several rumours the company has revealed that it will be pulling the curtains of its next generation iPhone on September 10. That’s almost a year later to the day the iPhone 5 crashed out – only 2 days less.<br /> The press invite features an Apple logo with a colourful background and the following words below it:<br /> <blockquote> This should brighten everyone’s day.</blockquote> The guys at Apple surely know how to market stuff.<br /> And while the iPhone 5S or 6 (or whatever it’ll be called) will surely be announced, its younger – and cheaper — sibling, instead, has gotten us more excited. The cheaper variant teasing itself in loads of colourful packages is certainly something to look out for and many people will be really mad if like last year, this year again the thing escapes announcement.</div>

Apple Confirms September 10 Unveiling of The Next iPhone(s)

The unveiling of the iPhone is one of biggest moments of the industry. All previous unveilings of iPhone devices have always been long-...

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Microsoft did Right to Buy Nokia but that Won't Solve Windows Phone's Biggest Problem

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJf_9mOdaJqxkjGae-MxcTYTf7i_20RYmZx2nXfkiGEIVnKcujU6fEkmooA8tGrnY5YCe951awSVRf-TMt4ECctkYZyT_-I5dUxx9FBgy8cBFgAAHJirih2HQM3leJ8y4txKqxWGs4I4/s1600/nokia-microsoft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Microsoft did Right to Buy Nokia but that Won't Solve Windows Phone's Biggest Problem" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJf_9mOdaJqxkjGae-MxcTYTf7i_20RYmZx2nXfkiGEIVnKcujU6fEkmooA8tGrnY5YCe951awSVRf-TMt4ECctkYZyT_-I5dUxx9FBgy8cBFgAAHJirih2HQM3leJ8y4txKqxWGs4I4/s1600/nokia-microsoft.jpg" title="Microsoft did Right to Buy Nokia but that Won't Solve Windows Phone's Biggest Problem" /></a></div> The news of Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia comes rather as a shock despite our being familiar with the tight bonding between the two companies over the years. Also the fact that there were hints for the takeover in the past, still it came as a emotional shock for many.<br /> The initial reaction to the news from most people would’ve arguably been of fist-punching or swearing at Microsoft for being “evil” as usual – especially when Stephen Elop has played as a Trojan Horse role by getting into Nokia and now after the deal is given back a VP role at Microsoft –  But when you ponder more over it, the whole deal starts to make more sense.<br /> You see, the development of an operating system between two companies isn’t as great as that by one single company, like Apple. Because of this trait of the transaction, Windows Phone seemingly has a good future ahead.<br /> The deal is undoubtedly one of the better ones that Microsoft has carried out in quite some time and miles better than the (arguably the useless) deal Skype was.<br /> But the news, despite being pleasing brings some worrying factors with it too.<br /> Firstly, Symbian, which is almost completely a Nokia-only OS right now. This transaction might mean the end of the Asha, S30 and S40 models in the future. Microsoft will most-possibly only develop its own OS and not those of its partner company. I don’t really expect Nokia to do that either but you never know.<br /> Secondly, Windows Phone might end up becoming a one-party-affair in the future. Microsoft’s other OEMs have been critical of the company’s fondness for Nokia and its acquisition of the giant won’t be improving that notion one bit. Right now, you can count the number of companies making Windows Phones on your fingers and the future won’t be particularly bright if Microsoft isn’t particularly willing in changing that. In short, Microsoft-Nokia might be the new Apple. One. Party. Affair.<br /> Thirdly, Windows Phone’s biggest Achilles Heels has been Microsoft’s reluctance to develop and update it. Had it been doing exactly that, this situation wouldn’t have arisen in the first place and both companies would’ve prospered without one of them having to spend 7 billion dollars. Will Microsoft’s laziness and Nokia’s briskness continue in the future too and will the latter outpace the former?<br /> These are the burning questions which need to be answered, and we will undoubtedly get the answers to them in the coming few years. And we hope that the end product will be better and more finished than the present-day Windows Phone.<br /> Microsoft may even give Nokia the reins to the Surface and future Windows RT & 8 tablets. With one company being an expert in software and the other in hardware, we really expect this deal to bear some fantastic results.<br /> At the end of the day its not the powerful hardware or ultra HD displays, or the looks that is going to sweeten the balance sheets of Microsoft, instead innovation is what both the companies require to bring into their devices and the OS.</div>

Microsoft did Right to Buy Nokia but that Won't Solve Windows Phone's Biggest Problem

The news of Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia comes rather as a shock despite our being familiar with the tight bonding between the two ...

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Samsung Galaxy Gear Gets Official

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFp1_OXTTjw7Ed25IWErdEEzlhpUlpZjNV6P7D1p3WGAxztTjFyhJ2X_MAQu8xMbxNBHB0w3tNrZl_LXETZJUILcvKz4ct9SNnlLXbB6npIBrPTEsuJ64wcLiahMcRCc-8Bq6ZIbuean8/s1600/Samsung-Galaxy-Gear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Samsung Galaxy Gear Gets Official" border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFp1_OXTTjw7Ed25IWErdEEzlhpUlpZjNV6P7D1p3WGAxztTjFyhJ2X_MAQu8xMbxNBHB0w3tNrZl_LXETZJUILcvKz4ct9SNnlLXbB6npIBrPTEsuJ64wcLiahMcRCc-8Bq6ZIbuean8/s1600/Samsung-Galaxy-Gear.jpg" title="Samsung Galaxy Gear Gets Official" width="400" /></a></div> Contrary to what many people would’ve initially thought, Samsung is not new to the Smartwatch business. It has actually made some high-tech watches so the Galaxy Gear is not an experiment. It’s still high-tech however the watch is already getting negative reviews from around the web. The watch display measures 1.63 inch in size and has a 320 x 320 resolution meaning pixel density of 277ppi. It uses Super AMOLED technology. Unusually for a Samsung device, the Galaxy Gear will not run Android.<br /> It pairs with your phone via Bluetooth 4.0 and after that, will be able to take calls. That’s very James Bond-like but it will still look quite bizarre. The upper strap features a 1.9 megapixel camera with BSI Sensor and 720p video recording.<br /> Under the hood, the watch comes with an 800Mhz processor, 512 MB RAM and 4 GB non-expandable storage. The whole package weighs just 73.8g.<br /> The 315mAh battery is enough for making the watch last for a bit over a day. Using a feature called Auto Lock, it instantly locks your phone as soon as the paired device goes out of range, i.e. more than 1.5 meters away. Another feature called Find My Phone does what it’s supposed to be doing by via ringing, lighting up or vibrating.<br /> It will be compatible with only the new Galaxy Note III and Note 10.1 2014 Edition at launch but support for the Galaxy S III and Note II is coming in the next few months.<br /> The Galaxy Gear will launch with 70 apps at launch which includes Evernote, Pocket, Path, eBay and more.<br /> The watch will be available in 100 countries around the globe for $299 and in 6 colors this month.</div>

Samsung Galaxy Gear Gets Official

Contrary to what many people would’ve initially thought, Samsung is not new to the Smartwatch business. It has actually made some high-t...

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