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Gaming
May 2, 2012
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Draw Something begins to lose its appeal

By on May 2, 2012 at 4:15 PM.

Draw Something begins to lose its appeal

Draw Something loses appeal

OMGPOP launched Draw Something on February 6th and within seven weeks, the game soared to 35 million users while serving almost 1 billion ad impressions per day. The turn based Pictionary-style game soon became the most popular Facebook Connect game, beating out Zynga’s Words With Friends, and also the No.1 free app and No.1 paid app on both the iOS App Store and the Google Play marketplace for Android. Zynga noticed the success of Draw Something and quickly acquired OMGPOP and its team for more than $200 million. The sale may have been premature, however, as Draw Something’s user base is beginning to decline, The Atlantic Wire reports. The number of users who play the game on a daily basis has dropped from nearly 15 million users to 10 million, although the number of monthly users has stayed consistent, according to information from App Data. The crumbling daily user figures could spell trouble for Zynga, but it looks like the timing couldn’t have worked out better for OMGPOP, which seemingly managed to cash in at precisely the right time. More →

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mobile
May 2, 2012
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Ice Cream Sandwich adoption approaches 5% but Gingerbread still growing

By on May 2, 2012 at 3:20 PM.

Ice Cream Sandwich adoption approaches 5% but Gingerbread still growing

Gingerbread adoption still growing despite age

Google updated its Android version tracker on Tuesday, revealing the latest version of its Android operating system is slowly gaining ground. The estimated number of devices running Ice Cream Sandwich has increased by more than two-thirds over the last month, from 2.9% of all Android devices to 4.9% as measured during the 14-day period ending on May 1st. The bulk of Android devices continue to run the year-and-a-half old Gingerbread operating system (64.4%), followed by the two-year old Froyo OS (20.9%). The adoption rate of Android 2.3 is still growing, however devices running Froyo decreased by almost 3%. As more and more manufacturers update their mobile portfolios and as the HTC One X, the HTC One S and the Samsung Galaxy S3 hit the market with Ice Cream Sandwich, the operating system is likely to see continued growth over the coming months. Google is likely to unveil its next major Android build some time this summer or in the third quarter of 2012, however, further complicating the spread of Android operating system versions currently in use. More →

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Services
May 1, 2012
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LG launches iCloud competitor

By on May 1, 2012 at 11:30 PM.

LG launches iCloud competitor

LG Cloud takes aim at Apple's iCloud

LG on Monday announced the beta release of its own iCloud competitor, dubbed LG Cloud. The service allows users to manage and consume all types of content across Android smartphones, PCs and smart TVs. “Most companies today only see the cloud as a storage device or in the case of YouTube or Flickr, only for one type of content,” LG’s Home Entertainment President and CEO Havis Kwon said. “LG makes the devices that millions of people watch content on so we can set a new yardstick for ease of use by setting up our own cloud service. Tomorrow’s consumers don’t want to go to one cloud for music, another cloud for video, another location for photos and yet another cloud for their office files. In the end, our solution is about making life more convenient.” LG Smart TV or smartphone owners may be eligible to receive 50GB of free LG Cloud storage for six months. The company’s cloud service will be offered in both free and paid versions, with each member allotted 5GB of free storage. Read on for LG’s press release. More →

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mobile
May 1, 2012
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Android and Apple continue to grow in Q1 as RIM and Microsoft slide

By on May 1, 2012 at 9:00 PM.

Android and Apple continue to grow in Q1 as RIM and Microsoft slide

Android, Apple gain share as RIM, Microsoft slide

ComScore on Tuesday announced the results of a three month study on the smartphone market in the United States. The research firm found Google’s Android operating system has continued to grow, increasing its market share from 47.3% in December to 51% in March. Apple’s iOS accounted for 30.7% of all smartphone subscribers in the U.S., an increase from 29.6% in December. Research In Motion ranked third with a 12.3% share, followed by Microsoft’s Windows Phone at 3.9% and Symbian with a 1.4% share. The study also revealed that more than 106 million Americans own a smartphone, up 9% from December, while 234 million Americans age 13 and older used a mobile device during the quarter. Samsung ranked as the top mobile device vendor with 26% of U.S. mobile subscribers, followed by LG with a 19.3% share and Apple with 14%. A second chart from comScore follows below. More →

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mobile
May 1, 2012
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IDC: Samsung passes Apple to become No.1 in smartphones

By on May 1, 2012 at 6:30 PM.

IDC: Samsung passes Apple to become No.1 in smartphones

Samsung passes Apple, now No.1 in smartphones

The global smartphone market grew by 42.5% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2012, as the worldwide mobile phone market declined 1.5%. According to market research firm IDC, vendors shipped a total of 398.4 million mobile phones in the first quarter compared to 404.3 million units in the same quarter last year. Samsung ousted longtime leader Nokia to become the world’s largest mobile phone vendor, and it topped Apple to become the world’s largest smartphone vendor. The South Korea-based vendor increased its profits by 82% to a record 5.05 trillion won in the first quarter, and shipped 42.2 million smartphones to capture 29.1% of the market according to IDC. Apple’s smartphone share grew around 6%, as the Cupertino-based company shipped 35.1 units to capture 24.2% of market. More →

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Gaming
April 30, 2012
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Angry Birds trip to space tops 50 million downloads

By on April 30, 2012 at 6:21 PM.

Angry Birds trip to space tops 50 million downloads

Angry Birds Space hits 50 million downloads

Rovio on Monday announced that the company’s latest Angry Birds installment, Angry Birds Space, has been downloaded a whopping 50 million times in 35 days, making it the fastest growing mobile game of all time. The company also teased that “something even bigger is on its way” and gamers should stay tuned. Angry Birds Space was released on March 22nd for iOS and Android devices, as well as OS X and Windows PCs. The fourth major Birds release delivered new and unique gameplay features alongside new and existing characters. The game was an instant hit and in less than three days was downloaded 10 million times. Fans have called the game the best Birds game since the original.  More →

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mobile
April 30, 2012
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Life isn’t Good with Windows Phone, LG switches back to Android [updated]

By on April 30, 2012 at 1:51 PM.

Life isn’t Good with Windows Phone, LG switches back to Android [updated]

LG dumps Windows Phone for Android

One of the original launch partners of Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system is calling a quits. LG said during its earnings call last week that the company has no plans to introduce any new Windows Phones and instead will focus its efforts on Android. The South Korean-based manufacturer claimed that its partnership with Microsoft remains in good standards, however a focus on Windows Phone has not worked out financially. “The total unit of Windows Phone sold in the global market is not a meaningful figure,” an LG spokesman said to The Korea Herald. LG, which was once the world’s No. 3 handset maker, has seen weakening sales of its smartphone lineup. After recording losses for seven consecutive quarters, the company turned its first profit on the back of increased sales from its Android-powered devices operating of 4G LTE networks.

UPDATE: LG confirmed to PC Magazine that it has no plans to abandon Windows Phone. More →

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Legal
April 30, 2012
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Apple and Samsung CEOs to meet on May 21st for settlement talks

By on April 30, 2012 at 10:18 AM.

Apple and Samsung CEOs to meet on May 21st for settlement talks

Apple and Samsung CEO meet May 21st to talk settlement

Apple and Samsung’s CEOs are scheduled to meet on May 21st to discuss a possible settlement to the widely-publicized on-going legal battle, FOSS Patents reported. The two companies have been in a bitter patent war since last April that includes more than 20 cases in 10 countries. Despite the scheduled settlement talks, however, the Korean manufacturer asserted eight additional patents against the Cupertino-based company last week. Apple CEO Tim Cook told analysts during the company’s earnings call that he would rather settle lawsuits than fight them in court. “I’ve always hated litigation, and I continue to hate it. We just want people to invent their own stuff,” the CEO said. “I would highly prefer to settle versus battle. But the key thing is that it’s very important that Apple not become the developer for the world.” If the two companies cannot come to an agreement, a trial is scheduled for July in the United States. More →

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mobile
April 26, 2012
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Two-thirds of Americans unwilling to spend over $50 on mobile data

By on April 26, 2012 at 10:45 PM.

Two-thirds of Americans unwilling to spend over $50 on mobile data

A new study from Parks Associates found that two-thirds of U.S. consumers are unwilling to spend more than $50 per month on mobile data plans, while almost half of smartphone users were unsure how much data they consumed each month.  The report highlights the risks carriers face as they try to shift consumers from unlimited data plans to usage-based ones. “Moving mobile users to usage-based plans will be difficult and painful, but changes are necessary for operators to maintain revenues,” said Harry Wang, Director of Mobile Research at Parks Associates. “Operators would benefit by recasting mobile data services as experience-driven in order to reduce price sensitivity, fend off competition, and keep their mobile data revenue engine humming.” The firm believes that in order for carriers to maximize their revenues, they should tie in their offerings to popular apps and services, including TV, music, books, newspapers, games, location-based services, and social activities, rather than charging consumers per megabyte. Read on for Parks Associates’s press release. More →

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mobile
April 26, 2012
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No clear evidence that mobile phone’s increase risk of cancer

By on April 26, 2012 at 3:40 PM.

No clear evidence that mobile phone’s increase risk of cancer

According to the largest review of its kind, the British Health Protection Agency says there is no clear evidence that radiation from mobile phones poses a health threat, The Guardian reported on Thursday. Scientists found no convincing proof that radio waves from mobile phones cause brain tumors or any other type of cancer. They did caution that it was “important” to watch for signs of rising cancer cases, however, because they had too little information to assess the risk beyond 15 years of mobile usage. The study was conducted by the Health Protection Agency’s independent Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation (AGNIR). More →

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mobile
April 25, 2012
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Huawei looks to ship 60 million smartphones this year

By on April 25, 2012 at 11:55 PM.

Huawei looks to ship 60 million smartphones this year

Huawei, the world’s sixth largest mobile phone vendor, said on Wednesday that it expects to ship more than 100 million mobile phones in 2012, including 60 million smartphones, Reuters reported. The Chinese company sold a total of 55 million handsets, including 20 million smartphones, in 2011 and is now looking to increase its global market share with a focus on key markets. “We plan to target China, the United States, western Europe and Japan as key markets,” said Shao Yang, chief marketing officer of Huawei Device. The executive also said he expects consumer device sales to reach $30 billion in five years, up from $7 billion, becoming as large as its telecommunications equipment business. “This means that by that time, the revenue will be comparable to our telecom equipment business,” Shao said. “We feel the room for growth for devices is much bigger than the telecom carrier sector.” More →

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mobile
April 25, 2012
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Sprint confirms unlimited data plan for next iPhone

By on April 25, 2012 at 1:40 PM.

Sprint confirms unlimited data plan for next iPhone

Sprint, the nation’s third largest wireless carrier, is the only major wireless provider that continues to offer unlimited smartphone data plans. When its network finally landed Apple’s iPhone, many people feared unlimited data would be heading out the door. Sprint continued to offer the plans, however, and will continue to do so even after its 4G LTE network goes live later this year and once it launches Apple’s next-generation iPhone. ”I’m not anticipating the unlimited plan would change by that point,” Sprint CEO Dan Hesse told CNET. “That’s our distinctive differentiator.” The CEO believes the decision to stick with unlimited data for the iPhone has proved helpful in the company’s mission to appeal to new customers. “Frankly, it’s a marriage made in heaven,” he said about the combination of unlimited and the iPhone. “We’re clearly attracting customers from our competitors.” Hesse stressed, however, that he didn’t know when Apple would release the next iPhone, or whether it would even have LTE. “Our expectation is that we will all get the same device at the same time,” he said. More →

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Legal
April 24, 2012
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Apple’s iPhone and iPad violate one Motorola patent, ITC rules

By on April 24, 2012 at 2:15 PM.

Apple’s iPhone and iPad violate one Motorola patent, ITC rules

The International Trade Commission on Tuesday ruled in favor of Motorola Mobility in its patent infringement claim against Apple. The Cupertino-based company’s iPhone and iPad were found to be in violation of Motorola’s Wi-Fi technology patent, however they did not infringe on three other patents that Motorola asserted against the iPhone-maker. “We are pleased that the ALJ’s initial determination finds Apple to be in violation of Motorola Mobility’s intellectual property, and look forward to the full commission’s ruling in August,” Motorola told CNET in a statement. The ruling is preliminary and still must be approved by the ITC’s six-member commission. More →

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